Chicken Wrangler Sara Archives - Page 21 of 39

7 09, 2018

My life in Songs, Part 1

By judythemorgan|2018-09-03T07:33:23-05:00September 7th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I recently started a new job teaching music at a charter school near my house. The private school where I taught for the past 10 years closed at the beginning of July. There was a period of time when I wasn’t teaching music anywhere.

This was very disconcerting. I realized that teaching music is not only what I do but it is a large part of who I am. My whole life is a series of songs to be shared with anyone who will listen – mostly children.

For example, we acquired 4 roosters who were somewhat smaller than our hens so we placed them in a vacant enclosure within the chicken yard. The next morning they were out with the hens.

I chased them back to what I considered safety but the next morning they were out again. I checked on them the following night and discovered they were all flying up into the tree above the enclosure and roosting for the night.

I spotted one in the tree and snapped a picture.

That reminded me of a song:

I realize they are not actually turkeys and there are only four but still, this is how my mind works. I suppose it will always work that way, whether or not I am officially a music teacher. Fortunately I am a music school teacher so I have an excuse to live my life in songs.

30 07, 2018

It’s Time to PAUSE

By judythemorgan|2018-07-29T15:39:48-05:00July 30th, 2018|A Writer's Life|1 Comment

On a recent road trip together, Chicken Wrangler Sara and I were discussing an editorial titled “Head Space” by Stephen Orr in the August edition of Better Homes and Garden magazine.

Orr pointed out that everywhere you look people are on their smart phones. Not just in public places, it happens in our homes, at school, and at our places of worship.

He points out our “tiny glass pocket computers” are putting us on information overload and stealing head space we need to think and process.

Everything he said is sad, but true.

His solution is to put the phones down, pause, and give our head space some room to think. He says, “Real thoughts-your own thoughts-will start seeping back in” when you do.

Sara and I agreed our own head space is overloaded and not just from cell phone usage. We decided that Stephen Orr’s advice seemed like a good way to recharge.

So…

We’re taking a PAUSE for the month of August from cell phones and blogging.

We’ll return on September 10 with clearer head space and fresh adventures to share.

In the meantime, you can find six years’ worth of reading material in the archives. Simply scroll down the column on the right and use the site’s search option.

27 07, 2018

Missed the Memo

By judythemorgan|2018-07-24T21:59:56-05:00July 27th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I recently did my annual “work in the flower bed in the heat of summer” job. Some pink flowers we dug up at my father-in-law’s and replanted in our flowerbed prompted it. They add some cheer and color to the front of the house.

At one point we had another flower bed that encircled two pine trees. There were irises, a rosemary plant and a couple of althea bushes. Rachel and I worked in that flower bed 2 years ago but then the pine trees died and were cut down and the rosemary didn’t survive our “trimming” so I gave up on it.

Most of it just looks like part of the yard now except for these two amaryllis plants.They apparently did not get the memo that the flower bed was gone and they just keep on blooming.

I received word at the beginning of the month that the school where I teach is closing grades K-12 and will only keep the preschool open. This has made me very sad. Seeing these amaryllis every day reminds me that even though things around me are not the same, I can still bloom.

13 07, 2018

Paper or Digital?

By judythemorgan|2018-07-13T08:43:21-05:00July 13th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

One of my goals this summer was to learn to play the organ. My finger injury forced me to put that on hold.

Instead I tackled all the piles of things that appeared during the school year. This included magazines most of which I had saved because they had recipes I wanted to try.

Along with children’s books and chickens I also collect recipes. I tear them out of magazines, cut them out of the paper and print them from Facebook. This has led to piles of papers to go with my piles of magazines and music.

I considered taking pictures of the recipes and storing them digitally on my phone. There are two problems with this plan:

My phone goes to sleep before I am finished with the recipe. I had this problem with a BBQ ribs recipe I was using on July 4^th. Trying to touch the screen often enough to keep it awake while cooking was more than I could handle.
The phone does not fit on my recipe holder.

So I’ll keep my paper recipes and my transition into the 21^st century will have to take a detour.

6 07, 2018

Chicken Little

By judythemorgan|2018-07-05T10:52:45-05:00July 6th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

My mom recently gave me a copy of the children’s book Chicken Little to add to my collections of chickens and children’s books.

In case you are not familiar with the story Chicken Little is out in the farm yard one day when an acorn fell on her head. She is convinced the sky is falling and she runs to tell the king. On her way she meets Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Wucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey. The whole brood is headed for the castle when they run into Foxy Woxy who convinces them to follow him on a “shortcut.” He leads them into a cave with the most impure of motives. The whole crew causes a ruckus and runs out of the cave and back to the farm yard. The excitement has completely overshadowed the original dilemma and Chicken Little returns to pecking at corn in the farmyard – blissfully unconcerned about the condition of the sky.

I have thought about Chicken Little a great deal recently.

The school where I teach has undergone some financial difficulties in the last few years. I believe most private schools face this problem at some point. The reaction of the staff has been interesting to watch. Some have continued to do their job knowing that the students deserve their best regardless of what the future holds. Others have adopted the Chicken Little philosophy of “the sky is falling.” Their panic spread to some of the students and parents leading to an uncomfortable period of time.

I love my job as music teacher and strive to have fun with all my classes even if it will only be for a short time. I tried to spread this positive outlook to the faculty and staff as best I could and eventually the year came to an end.

I believe there are parallels in the reporting of current events today. I’ve decided to approach media news the way I do my position at school. I will do my best to enjoy life regardless of the circumstances. Perhaps I will follow Chicken Littles example at the end of the story and look for corn in my own farmyard.

29 06, 2018

More Sticky Notes Tales

By judythemorgan|2018-06-28T08:19:37-05:00June 29th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The great Sticky Note War has died down some but one of my students continues to write notes each time he comes. They are not always directed at the cat lovers, and I am beginning to believe he is using them as a stall tactic.

One of his most recent messages makes me smile every time I see it.

My son gave me a clock one year for Christmas. It is a chicken clock which already makes me smile.

However, my student put a sticky note on it that says “rooster o’clock” and “clockadoodledoo.”

I leave it there even though it makes it hard to tell the time. This student is taking some time off while his family is in a transition. There is a chance they will move which is sad.

I would miss his chicken stories and sense of humor. I’ll be praying for them regularly – that God works things out so they can stay. Us chicken lovers need to stick together.

22 06, 2018

Interruption on Miller Farm

By judythemorgan|2018-06-21T14:30:01-05:00June 22nd, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|3 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

A finger injury recently interrupted Life on Miller Farm and it was my finger.

The accident happened at the beginning of June but it has taken me a while to process the mishap. This is what happened:

I was slicing a red bell pepper with a mandolin slicer. I did not use the holder and sliced the tip of my right index finger – off. I screamed and Beekeeper Brian came into the kitchen immediately.

To be honest, it is not unusual for me to cut myself. In fact, there is a tube of super glue with my name on it near the kitchen counter. However, Beekeeper Brian took one look at my finger and said, “Let me get some shoes on.”

We went to the closest urgent care clinic where the FNP called in the MD to confirm her diagnosis. She called it an “avulsion” which is a tearing away of the skin. She used silver nitrate to stop the bleeding and the nurse wrapped it in a pretty purple bandage.

The doctor wrote a prescription for an antibiotic and pain medicine which I took as often as I could for the first two days.

I practiced playing the piano with my other nine fingers and told the worship leader at our church that I would be at 90% for a while. I have now realized how much of my piano playing is muscle memory. It takes a lot of brain power to remember not to use finger 2 on my right hand.

After a trip to my regular doctor I was able to switch to a fingertip bandage. It reminds me of a finger puppet so Brian drew a face on it.

It has been nearly three weeks and the finger is slowly healing. Another week or so and I should be able to get back to swimming.

The doctor said I could get in the pool if I kept my finger out of the water. I’m not sure my brain can figure out how to swim without my right hand getting wet. I could just walk back and forth across the pool with my finger up in the air.

Or I can just wait a little longer.

In the meantime, my mom gave me a mesh glove to wear when I use a knife in the kitchen.

I’d like to keep the rest of my fingers intact.

15 06, 2018

Weed Control

By judythemorgan|2018-06-14T09:10:47-05:00June 15th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

A friend in my Bible Study Fellowship class is a gardener. She was talking about weeding one day and I mentioned that I always feed the weeds to my chickens. They love scratching through and finding bugs.

Vicky started bringing her weeds to me. She would put them in a mulch bag and I would carry them home in the back of my car. The chickens are thrilled.

I made a video of the chickens eating to send to Vicky. In it you can see them scratching and hear them clucking with contentment. You can also hear the dogs barking in the background.

At one point, Custard comes running by but he’s too scared to stop and scratch with them. He prefers to jump up and get the leaves off the tree behind the pile of weeds.

Why spend money watching movies when the chickens provide such great entertainment for free?

8 06, 2018

More Duck Tales

By judythemorgan|2018-06-06T13:11:04-05:00June 8th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The ducks must have read last week’s blog (http://judythewriter.com/ducks-to-water) and decided to cooperate with me. Topsy stayed in the pool long enough for me to get a picture.

The recent rains have filled the pool and with the temperature heating up, the pool is very inviting.

I’m curious to see if the chickens jump in also.

I was also able to get another picture of all the ducks:Someone must have told them about another popular saying. I can now say my ducks are in a row. :)

1 06, 2018

Ducks to Water???

By judythemorgan|2018-06-01T13:43:38-05:00June 1st, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|3 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I’m not sure where the phrase “like a duck to water” comes from, but I do know that our ducks have never heard it.

They outgrew the pan of water that we put in their pen so Rachel and I bought a small wading pool. Negotiating around the garden center with a pool in the buggy was quite a challenge.

We got it home and discovered there were directions for assembling the wading pool.It has been a long time since I bought a wading pool but I’m pretty sure they are not hard to set up. The instructions included a lanyard to be worn by the adult responsible for watching the children in the pool.

Since ducks are naturally good swimmers, we threw the lanyard away.

At the suggestion of the person who gave us the ducks, we put down a layer of mulch under the pool to keep down the mud. The chickens thought this was for their entertainment and promptly begin scratching all the mulch out from under the pool.

The ducks were less impressed with their new “pond.” Rachel threw them in and they immediately climbed out as though it were boiling water.

We moved to plan B. Put the pool on more level ground. Surely the ducks would like it then. Wrong.

Rachel suggested digging an indentation to make the pool more level with the ground. Sounded like a good idea to me.

So on to plan C. After wearing a blister on my hand, I had a shallow hole in which to set the pool. I filled it with water and went inside to bandage my wound.

While enjoying some nice cold water, I glanced out the window to see the ducks in the pool!!!! I was so thrilled I jumped up to get a picture. They immediately jumped out.

Since then they have been in the water many times and I have tried to photograph them. This is the best I could do.