Miller Farm Friday Archives - View from the Front Porch

24 03, 2023

New Chicken Wrangler Skills

By judythemorgan|2023-03-20T18:02:39-05:00March 24th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Penelope, Rachel’s dachshund, spent the night with us this weekend which meant I had to keep an eye on our wayward chicken.

I didn’t want to put her in a separate cage so I just held her whenever Penelope was outside. She didn’t mind at all and in fact, she talked to me the whole time.

I decided to clean one of the nest boxes which was particularly disgusting. It happened to have a chicken in it but that didn’t stop me. With a chicken in one hand, I carefully moved that mess out of the occupied nest box and replaced it with clean shavings. As I was carefully working around the stubborn hen, I wondered if perhaps this is what it is like for nurses who change sheets with a person still in the bed.

As soon as the nest box was clean, the hen moved to the dirty one next to it. They do have bird brains.

PS I do not have a pet chicken but if I did, what should I name it?

17 03, 2023

Turkey Trot

By judythemorgan|2023-03-16T09:19:43-05:00March 17th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We recently acquired a turkey. We have had white turkeys in the past, Tom and Tina, but they went to live on a bigger farm. I was initially not excited but this turkey is handsome.

He is a red bourbon heritage breed and is destined to be dinner so I have not given him a name.

I enjoy hearing him talking to the chickens but lately, he has started following me around the chicken yard. I am not sure if he thinks I am a female turkey or if he sees me as a threat. In any case, I have added the “turkey trot” to my list of farmyard dances which includes the “chicken dance” and “ring around the chicken coop.”

I have learned many skills as a chicken wrangler. Some are very useful in my day job as a music teacher.

10 03, 2023

Walking on the Wild Side

By judythemorgan|2023-03-09T20:54:11-06:00March 10th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We have one hen who much prefers to be on the opposite side of the fence Since Max is not interested in chasing chickens, it has been fine.

Penelope, Max’s sister, visited recently and she is not so considerate of the chicken on the wrong side of the fence. I tried returning the hen to the chicken yard but several over-amorous roosters chased her around.

I ended up keeping her in a cage in the front yard during Penelope’s visit.

Most of the roosters are gone now so the hen is safe in the chicken yard. She is not quite convinced and keeps finding her way out. I’ve decided she likes to walk on the wild side. And as long as it is safe for her, I will allow it. Hopefully, the other chickens will not get jealous. I’m not ready for a chicken uprising.

3 03, 2023

Birds of A Feather

By judythemorgan|2023-03-01T21:06:10-06:00March 3rd, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Last weekend was the Ladies’ Retreat for our church. The organizers set up a text group to send messages and reminders. At one point in the conversation, this photo appeared:

It was followed immediately by a message “Oops, wrong text thread! Sorry, ladies!”

Then came this picture: Then this one:

It was so fun to see how many of my friends are also chicken wranglers! I guess birds of a feather do flock together!

17 02, 2023

Chicken Cookies for the Win!

By judythemorgan|2023-02-17T12:12:15-06:00February 17th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A reblog from Chicken Wrangler Sara

Our school secretary/business administrator is a wonderful lady. I’ve always known that the school secretary is the one who runs the school, and that is never truer than in a small private school. When she was gone for a few days taking care of her husband it took 4 people to do her job.

She has two grandsons who were in my music classes when they were at the school. They frequently visit so I keep an eye out at the food pantry for things they might enjoy. Each week I stop by the school on my way home to deliver whatever prizes I have found.

Last Friday Mary had a prize for me. She had been working at a garage sale and found a basket of cookie cutters. Among them was this

She immediately thought of me.

I was thrilled. I have quite a collection of cookie cutters – thanks to my mother – but a chicken was not among them.

Over the weekend, along with canning 6 pints of tomato sauce, 6 pints of spiced apples, 4 half pints of apple butter, and freezing 10 cups of mashed sweet potatoes, I made chicken cookies.

I took them to school and left them in the teachers’ workroom with a note explaining that they were chicken cookies – sugar cookies shaped like chickens, not cookies made from chicken. At least one teacher was glad for the clarification.

~~~First appeared on February 15, 2o15

10 02, 2023

Real Teachers

By judythemorgan|2023-02-09T18:04:11-06:00February 10th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

“You’re not a real teacher.” I’ve heard that many, many times in my years of teaching music.

Recently it was from a student. Early in my career, I was told I would never be “Teacher of the Year” because I wasn’t a real teacher. Another time someone walked into my classroom and said “O, you’re teaching” as if that was a surprise.

It used to really upset me. It doesn’t bother me anymore. I know what I do, and I love it.

Music teachers take the students who can’t sit still in “regular” classes, and those who struggle with “real” subjects and dread those classes. We take all those wiggly little bodies and create ensembles that play and sing together. Music gives those students a chance to succeed.

No, we don’t give standardized tests. We have performances where students learn to work together and make music with instruments or voices in front of live audiences on a regular basis. All the students take part and their self-confidence soars.

If we aren’t “real” teachers, what about superheroes like my favorite teeshirt says?

3 02, 2023

Life Goal

By judythemorgan|2023-01-31T20:56:31-06:00February 3rd, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

When I was in middle school, I took piano lessons from Mrs. Black. She was an amazing teacher who had a major impact on my life.

Each week I had a private lesson and a group lesson where I learned theory, ear training, and improvisation. She taught in her home and had two baby ground pianos in her studio. I can still remember her coming down the stairs in her house shoes and playing a second piano part to my Clementi Sonatinas.

I performed in recitals, festivals, and for the National Guild of Piano Teachers. I loved every minute of it and decided at that point I wanted to be just like Mrs. Black when I grew up.

I did indeed pursue a degree in music education where all the group lessons helped tremendously in my freshmen theory classes. I began teaching piano in the home of one of the professors who guided me as I began my teaching career.

Fast forward more than 30 years and I am still teaching private piano as well as classroom music. And I still love doing both. While I do not have a baby grand piano, much less two, in my living room, I try to impart the same love of music that Mrs. Black passed on to me.

I looked down this week and noticed my feet:

I have achieved my life goal of becoming just like Mrs. Black – right down to teaching in my house shoes.

27 01, 2023

Safe chickens

By judythemorgan|2023-01-26T06:11:17-06:00January 27th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We are down to two dachshunds now. We have Coco, who is a grumpy old lady and Max who is a handsome young man. Max loves to help me check the chickens. He runs at the fence barking fiercely.

However, some of the hens have started venturing over the fence. Max is not quite sure what to do.

His aunt Bella would have caught those chickens in a heartbeat. In fact, we regularly played “catch the dachshund before it catches the chickens.”

While I miss Bella, I do not miss the extra workout I would get. I need all my energy for Grandma duty!

20 01, 2023

Chicken Socks

By judythemorgan|2023-01-20T11:57:01-06:00January 20th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

My black socks were dirty when I went to find them last week so I pulled out my chicken socks. They are black – with chicken legs and feet on the front. I was wearing pants so I figured no one would notice.

The problem is my shoes have an opening on the top of the foot just big enough to show the chicken feet.

The younger kids sit on the floor right at my feet so in every class at least one student noticed my socks. In fact, one girl told me her grandmother has the same socks. I am glad I am not the only goofy grandma.

The older kids sit in chairs and so they did not see the socks. Or if they did, they didn’t say anything.

The next day the students wanted to know if I was wearing my chicken socks again. I explained they needed to be washed.

Perhaps I need to get another pair.

13 01, 2023

Counting Fire Hydrants

By judythemorgan|2023-01-11T15:52:21-06:00January 13th, 2023|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Our daughter brought the boys to see us the week before Christmas while her husband was at work. She wanted to introduce Theo to his great-grandfather, Theodore who lives about two hours away. I went with her to be an extra pair of hands. I mostly entertained Alex while Catherine and Theo stayed and visited with Opa.

Alex loves to be outside and the arctic air had not blown into town yet so we walked around the block. Actually, we ran – Alex doesn’t walk very often.

I must confess, normally when I walk, I focus on where I’m going and don’t pay much attention to what is around me. With Alex, however, we examined the many different Christmas lights and decorations we passed. He gave a running commentary – “Christmas lights, reindeer, Christmas tree, Santa”

The decorations that were not inflated were “sleeping.” They wake up at night. I tried to teach Alex the world ‘nocturnal” but he didn’t quite get it.

We also counted fire hydrants – there are seven fire hydrants around Opa’s block. Alex touched everyone.