Friday on the Miller Farm Archives - Page 16 of 33

5 06, 2020

Stream of Consciousness

By judythemorgan|2020-05-28T09:36:11-05:00June 5th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I really enjoyed my English classes in high school. I remember reading James Joyce. I don’t remember exactly what we read, only that he used a technique called stream of consciousness.

The way I remember it being explained is writing as your mind wanders, like right before you fall asleep. You just move from one topic to the next with only a thread of connection.

I believe the children’s version of stream of consciousness is seen in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff.

I thought about this as I got ready to go to work this morning.

I opened the fridge to make my salad for lunch and remembered I needed to clean out the produce drawer. We have some peaches in a brown sack that needed to go into the drawer.

So I cleaned the drawer and moved the peaches.

Then as I moved the peaches I saw my jar of sour dough starter. That reminded me that I was taking some to a friend this evening so I took it out to feed it.

Then I remembered I wanted to take some blueberry bars to our community group tonight also. I got them out of the back fridge and moved them into a different container that would fit in the front fridge where I could see it.

Then I remembered the teacher I am helping at school right now asked me to bring my paper shredder to school so I went to get it. When I unplugged it, I saw all the dirt and dust and dog hair that had been under it so I cleaned the floor in that area.

I loaded it into my car and came back into the kitchen to get my lunch and my water. When I opened the freezer to fill my cup with ice, I realized the ice trays needed to be emptied.

At this point I needed to get to work and I was afraid if I emptied the ice trays, I would remember something else so I went to work.

So instead of saying I got sidetracked I say I had a “stream of consciousness morning.” It sounds so much better.

29 05, 2020

Cuddle Ducks

By judythemorgan|2020-05-28T09:18:01-05:00May 29th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

This transition from house ducks to outside ducks has been the smoothest ever. I was concerned, as always, that the smaller ducks would have to go through an initiation before they were accepted into the flock.

This did not happen.

I started by putting the ducks in the wire cage in the pen with their new friends.Usually it takes a fair amount of time for the littles to venture out. These ducks are particularly attached to each other so they went out together.They spent a few minutes cuddling and surveying their surroundings.

It reminded me how important it is to have a friend when facing a scary situation.

Before long they were eating and drinking. I could rest easy for the rest of the day.

I went to check on them before I went to bed. I was going to put them in the coop but I found them cuddling in the middle of all the big ducks.

They were safe at home.

22 05, 2020

Bath Day

By judythemorgan|2020-05-28T09:46:52-05:00May 22nd, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The newest arrivals to our duck pen really seem to enjoy the “duck pond” (i.e. kiddie swimming pool). Since we built the duck pen in the front corner of the chicken yard, I can watch the ducks swim from my kitchen window. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen so I get to see the ducks often.

At least once a week I empty the “pond” and refill it with fresh water. This is the ducks’ favorite day. I stand outside to get a better view of them in the clean pond.

Ricky is always the first to get into the water. He is the oldest duck and I call him the daddy duck.

When he is in the water, no one else comes around. Ricky doesn’t share.

The younger ducks are content to play in the puddle created by emptying the “pond.”

After Ricky has finished playing in the water, the rest of the ducks can take their turn.

The younger ducks are much better at sharing. They are not so good at social distancing.

15 05, 2020

Fearless

By judythemorgan|2020-05-13T13:23:14-05:00May 15th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

When Beekeeper Brian and I were first married, we lived on the second floor of an apartment in Houston. I clearly remember standing at the bottom of the stairs one day with a basket of laundry completely terrified of a grasshopper on the stairs. I stood there until it hopped away and then I quickly ran up the stairs and into our apartment.

Fast forward almost 33 years and I now think nothing of scooping a cockroach out of the chicken waterer or walking through the bees on my way to the chicken yard. What brought about this transformation?

I’m not really sure. It is either growing older (and wiser) or living on Miller Farm where there are an abundance of critters.

In any case, it serves me well to be less afraid of creepy crawly things.

A couple of weeks ago, I was weeding in the succulent bed around the mail box when I felt something crawling on my foot.

I have overcome my fear of most things, however, I have a healthy respect for fire ants. I thought I might be on the menu for lunch that day.

I quickly removed my shoe to discover…a small rough earth snake.

I watched him for a minute then decided he was unhappy in the gutter so I gently picked him up and put him back on the dirt. He quickly burrowed to safety.

There was a point in my life when I would have hurt myself trying to get away from that snake. Then I would have refused to check the mail ever again for fear of another snake encounter.

Life is much calmer for me now. I’m thankful for that. The world seems to have more and more things of which to be frightened. I just chose to be fearless.

1 05, 2020

Just in Time

By judythemorgan|2020-04-29T12:27:13-05:00May 1st, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We started building a separate enclosure for the ducks during Spring Break. We dismantled all the individual Bantam runs and moved the small coop and “duck pond” to that side of the chicken yard.

Matt came and helped Brian build a door, and I strung the chicken wire.

It was finished on Sunday, and we moved the little ducks into their new home along with Lucy and Ricky, the adult ducks.

Now I go out at night to put them in the coop.

We made the move just in time. Tuesday, the next batch of ducks started to hatch.

Here we go again!

24 04, 2020

Stormy Weather

By judythemorgan|2020-04-23T12:58:18-05:00April 24th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Texas is known for its crazy weather. A couple of weeks ago it lived up to its reputation.

I was teaching piano lessons via Google Hangouts since we are still sheltering in place and a terrible storm broke out. It made me glad none of my students were actually at my house.

When I finished teaching, I looked out the back window and saw a tree had fallen.

Fortunately it fell away from the house so there was no damage – just a lot of work.

It took a couple of days and three chain saws (the first two didn’t work) but we (mostly Matt) got it all cut apart, and I carted it to the front yard.

A couple of days later I noticed a chicken in the front bush. Not a real chicken but one from my wind chime.

I went out and found the whole thing had blown off the hook. That was some strong wind! Fortunately only one of the chickens was broken.

The rest are back hanging outside the front door making their clanking sound.

Hopefully, the weather will be gentler for a while.

17 04, 2020

Duck Report

By judythemorgan|2020-04-16T10:09:34-05:00April 17th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The baby ducks are getting bigger. This is a good thing. We want to move them outside because they are making a huge mess.

I put them in a cage outside while I cleaned out their tub this weekend. They seemed to enjoy it so I left them all afternoon.

They had a larger water container and spent a lot of time running back and forth in the cage.

It makes me smile. Hopefully it makes you smile also.

We need to smile a lot these days.

10 04, 2020

Worth More Than a Sparrow

By judythemorgan|2020-04-09T14:04:40-05:00April 10th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I was talking on the phone with our oldest daughter last week and lamenting all the changes that have had to take place recently. She is expecting their first child in July so is already changing many things in her life. It is stressful.

As we talked, I noticed a bird carrying sticks into the bush in our front window. I commented on it, and Brian said from the other room “It’s building a nest.”

I was struck by the contrast. Our world seems to be falling apart and this bird is calming building a nest and preparing to lay eggs.

Brian reminded me of the verse in Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”I tried to get a picture of the nest through the window.

Brian was mowing the front yard last week and the momma left the nest to get food. He was able to get a better picture with the eggs.I’m going to make a card with this picture and the verse from Matthew. I’ll put it on the fridge to remind me not to be afraid. I am worth more than many sparrows.

3 04, 2020

Duck Therapy

By judythemorgan|2020-04-02T09:46:16-05:00April 3rd, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We recently hatched duck eggs on Miller Farm. When Beekeeper Brian set the eggs, the world was a much different place. He was going to work and I was teaching music at school. Now we are sheltering in place and having lots of video meetings.

The ducks provide a welcome distraction.

At first there were five and they all looked like Cayuga ducklings which would have come from Lucy and Ricky, our two grown ducks.

They all snuggled with the stuffed cat.

It reminded me of the children’s book Are You My Mother?

Then two more hatched two days later. And just as Brian was ready to clean out the incubator, one more hatched.

We call him Leo the Late Bloomer from another children’s book. He’s gray and yellow and came from eggs we got from a friend.

I put water in for them to drink but, being ducks, they play in it.

The one with the yellow beak also has yellow feet which are a stark contrast to the black legs. They are really fun to watch.

Anytime I get discouraged or worried, I go watch the ducklings. It’s duck therapy and it works really well.

27 03, 2020

Music for the Soul

By judythemorgan|2020-03-27T06:32:16-05:00March 27th, 2020|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

When I first began to teach music in the classroom, I would lose my voice once a year. Laryngitis is hard for any teacher, but for a music teacher it is particularly challenging. It takes much longer to regain the ability to sing than to talk.

I would spend weeks teaching listening lessons and doing rhythm activities. Before it was all over, I would find myself sad and out of sorts. I realized this was the result of not singing regularly.

This feeling of sadness is being felt on a much grander scale by musicians around the country as they are prohibited from meeting in ensembles to make music. The Toronto Symphony found a way around these restrictions.

As I listened to this wonderful music, I was overcome by joy and amazement. I could just imagine each performer in their own home playing their part without being able to hear the others except in their minds. I have no idea if this is actually how it happened but it really made me think.

We can all do our part wherever we are and trust that God will eventually put it all together to make something beautiful.

Hopefully, one day, we will see the finished product and all the sadness and loneliness will have been worth it.

In the meantime, we can enjoy the creativity of musicians who can’t help but make music together. Here’s another example: