Friday on the Miller Farm Archives - View from the Front Porch

10 11, 2023

Flexibility

By judythemorgan|2023-11-09T08:56:06-06:00November 10th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Honor likes to sleep on my lap when I am sitting at my desk. At first, she could curl up and fit easily. As she has grown, it has become more of a challenge.

Last week, I looked down and she had put her back leg over her nose to make herself into a smaller ball. I was impressed with her flexibility.

We have a Veterans Day program at school this week and then we start work on Christmas music. Between now and the end of the semester, things are pretty chaotic.

I think I need to print out this picture of honor and post it in my room to remind me to be flexible.

20 10, 2023

New Puzzle Challenge

By judythemorgan|2023-10-19T09:26:16-05:00October 20th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I have always enjoyed jigsaw puzzles. I cannot set one up during the school year because I will work on it to the exclusion of everything else.

I am actually pretty good at them, and I enjoy puzzles of all kinds. When I was visiting our grandsons this weekend, I encountered a new type of puzzle that was most challenging.

Alex loves trains. He has a set of tracks which he loves to put together. These tracks came in a box with a picture. While I was there, Alex decided he wanted the train tracks put together like the picture.

No problem, I thought as I got down on the floor and began to work.

I’m not sure whether it was my old eyes or my lack of spatial awareness but I could not make the train tracks look like the picture on the box.

The curves were going the wrong way and there were gaps in the track that did not match any available pieces. My daughter came to the rescue. She had watched her husband put the track together for Alex recently so she had an advantage. We finally got it all together and Alex enjoyed running the trains around the tracks.

When Alex tired of playing trains, Theo took over.

It was worth the team effort to make the track look like the picture.

13 10, 2023

Peace

By judythemorgan|2023-10-12T14:44:33-05:00October 13th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

As I met with friends on Zoom to pray this morning, Honor curled up on my lap asleep,

She is blissfully unaware of all that is going on in the world.

Furthermore, she trusts that I will take care of her regardless.

I want to be more like Honor.

I want to rest completely in God who cares for me and has the world in His control.

6 10, 2023

Really Good Day

By judythemorgan|2023-10-05T20:22:40-05:00October 6th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Because I teach many different grade levels, I have several different systems of positive reinforcement for student behavior. For the youngest students, ages 3-4, I have found stamping their hands to be most effective. I have a paw print stamp which works perfectly since we are the Panthers. It becomes part of their lining up routine. They put their hand on their head and if they have done a good job in music, they get a stamp.

The Kindergarten through sixth grade classes each have a sticker chart. When the class is doing well, I put up a sticker. When the chart is full (35 stickers) the class gets a free day. They choose what they want to do. Usually, they go outside. This process usually takes about 6 weeks and they really enjoy it.

I also have individual rewards – happy notes – that I give to students who are especially cooperative and helpful. I am surprised at how much these happy notes mean to them.

One day I looked down and noticed I had inadvertently stamped my pants.

Then I realized I had a sticker on my palm.

I must have been behaving very well so I wrote myself a happy note. It was a really good day!

29 09, 2023

When the Teacher is Wrong

By judythemorgan|2023-09-28T06:55:17-05:00September 29th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Although the majority of music class is making or listening to music, we do write music as well. I have a can of random pencils available along with various kinds of paper, i.e. notebook, blank, staff.

Most of my pencils are well-used so have no erasers. They still sharpen fine so I hate to throw them away. I just keep separate erasers for students who need them.

This is very disconcerting to the students and the first thing they say when I give them a pencil is “My pencil doesn’t have an eraser.”

I tell them they don’t need an eraser until they have actually written something and when they have something to erase, I will give them an eraser. They are still not happy but they use the pencils anyway.

Last week I decided to buy new pencils. I got a box of sharpened pencils with nice erasers. As I passed them out, I explained how they were brand new pencils so every one of them had a point and an eraser.

One student told me that his pencil didn’t have a point. I confess I was frustrated as I said, “Yes it does. They are new pencils and you are the first people to use them.”

Then he brought me his pencil.

Sure enough, the lead was put in the pencil off-center so it was not sharpened. I tried several times to sharpen it to no avail.

It is the first time I have ever seen a pencil like this.

I wish I could say it was the first time I was proven wrong. Or that it would be the last.

22 09, 2023

Puppy Love

By judythemorgan|2023-09-20T16:14:47-05:00September 22nd, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

It has been 8 years since we had a puppy in the house and at that time, we had both Max and Penelope who would entertain each other.

Honor has no siblings in the house so when I get up with her in the morning, I become one big chew toy.

I have been trying to start my day with some stretching exercises and am usually successful until I get down on the floor on my mat. The extra weight on my back as I do planks is fine. But the mess she makes of my hair – not so fine.

I’ve thought about introducing a new hairstyle “Teased by Honor” but I’m not sure anyone else would like it. There is also the fact that she gets stuck in my hair and is no fun to extract.

This week her antics inspired a poem:

Honor’s Toys

My hand’s not a chew toy

Nor is the chair.

Don’t chew on the rug

Or play in my hair.

So many things

Are not to be chewed.

Only your toys

And always your food.

Your bone, not the cords

Not the box but your keys

You have lots of options

Choose one of them, please!

Thank you!

Because she is so cute, I don’t stay frustrated for long!

15 09, 2023

Unwelcome Visitor

By judythemorgan|2023-09-14T20:43:23-05:00September 15th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Our neighbors recently told us that something had gotten into their chickens and killed three of them and a rooster. Based on the damage (headless chickens) they believe it was a raccoon.

I have heard tales of raccoons and their persistence and tendency to destruction. I was not happy.

We discovered one of our chickens had been a victim and had not survived. A rooster escaped to a neighbor’s yard, and there were a few more ducks in our yard that I imagine fled the attack. One of them has an injured leg,

We have set live traps and so have our neighbors to try to catch and relocate the villain.

So far, we have had no success.

My neighbor sent me a picture the other morning. Their oldest daughter is home from college for a visit and fearlessly chased off the raccoon one night. It hasn’t been seen since.

I’ll crown her Raccoon Wrangler. I’m not interested in that title.

8 09, 2023

Silly Turkey

By judythemorgan|2023-09-07T08:17:36-05:00September 8th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The grumpy turkey continues to provide entertainment on Miller Farm.

Friday morning when I went out to check on everyone, I found him roosting in the chicken coop.

He stayed there all day leading me to believe he was unsure how to get down.

I must confess, it was much less stressful to be in the chicken yard when the turkey was in the coop. But I was a little concerned he would starve to death so Beekeeper Brian tapped him and he jumped down.

A few days later he was back up on the roost. This time he figured out how to get down on his own, Silly Turkey!

He must think he is a chicken.

1 09, 2023

My New Title

By judythemorgan|2023-08-29T08:40:39-05:00September 1st, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Last Friday I looked out the kitchen window to find that Mr. Grumpy Turkey was on the wrong side of the fence.

My first thought was “Who can I call to help me?” Beekeeper Brian was at work as were both children who live in town.

My next thought was “Who is available to take me to the hospital?” Mr. Turkey is not fond of me and the feeling is mutual. I was imagining a fierce battle.

I came to the conclusion that I would have to wrangle this turkey on my own. I started the coffee brewing, grabbed the rake, and prepared to face my nemesis.

He was much less brave when he was on my side of the fence. I was able to guide him back into the chicken yard through the gate. It was almost anticlimactic.

Feeling triumphant, I returned to the kitchen to enjoy my coffee and new title as Turkey Wrangler.

25 08, 2023

Extracting Honey

By judythemorgan|2023-08-24T08:19:19-05:00August 25th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Beekeeper Brian’s bees have been pretty productive this year so we were able to get honey for the first time in several years. I had forgotten what an interesting process it is.

We decided to move the extractor into the kitchen instead of using it out on the driveway. The Texas heat has been oppressive.

First Brian removed the frames of honey and comb from the hive. He used a special spray designed to drive the bees away. This was especially important since we were bringing them into the kitchen.

Then the very edge of the comb is cut to remove the wax caps.

The frames are then placed into the extractor.

Then it is a matter of physics – specifically centrifugal force.

The metal tub containing the frames is spun forcing the honey to vacate the comb.

The liquid gold is then put through a sieve to remove large pieces of comb and collected into a five-gallon bucket.

The last step is to put it in bottles to be used in tea, on yogurt, or just licked off a spoon. At the end of the process, there was sticky honey everywhere in the kitchen including on the heads of two dogs.

But having honey from our own front yard makes it all worth the effort.