A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
I have come to accept the fact that not everyone shares the Miller fascination with all things living.
When people come over for the first time I hold my breath and hope they don’t turn around at the front door when they see the bee hives and hear all the dogs. So agreeing to host an international student is a huge risk.
Bill, the Chinese student currently living on Miller Farm, fits right in. He actually has pet snakes at his home in China. His mom cares for them while he is here. I’m very impressed with her. Wrangling chickens is one thing but snakes…
Anyway, on the way home from school this week, Bill mentioned that there had been a snail hanging out on the window in his bedroom. He said it hadn’t moved in a couple of days – not surprising for a snail.
A little while later he came into the living room with…The snail on his window had three baby snails. He put them back outside on a tree with their mom.
Miller farm has now seen the birth of guinea pigs, lizards, chickens, quail, mice, puppies, and snails. I have a feeling we are not done yet. I just hope we go back to babies with fur or feathers.
This kind of acceptance changes things, doesn’t it? It’s an epiphany of sorts, a slowing down of your nerves and a speeding up of your senses. This morning, the black Brangus cattle against the green of the pastures are a backup of my morning prayers and stretches.
The day will bring problems and aggravations. I will remember this.
Amen! I read an interesting article last fall on Awe. It is described by a psychologist as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast or beyond human scale, that transcends our current understanding of things.” 75% of awe is inspired by the natural world. I am glad to be among those who appreciate this.