Winter Snow – Lewis Carroll
Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
3
02, 2021
1
02, 2021
My Writer’s Procrastination
Most of the country is stuck in the throes of winter anxiously awaiting Punxsutawney Phil’s pronouncement about when winter will end. Down on the Texas Gulf coast we know that no matter what Phil says warmer weather is here.
We’ve already had several days in the seventies. Our grass is greening up and it feels a lot like summer will be early. Seventies in January are a harbinger of a long, hot summer.
We recently had the outside of our house painted. Everything looks so new, so fresh. It feels like spring is here. I started to hang the birdhouses my grandfather made many, many moons ago.
Opa had a little casita workshop behind his garage where he built birdhouses from wood scraps in different shapes and sizes. He also made stick horses, rocking horses, and doll beds that could be flipped from cradle to steady bed. All labors of love.
The birdhouses hung along the porch of his workshop. I’d have after school tea with my grandmother and watch the birds fly in and make their picks from the options.
When my grandparents passed, their daughters split the birdhouses and eventually, four of the birdhouses ended up with me. The little houses have hung along our porch and welcomed little birds.
With the warmer days, I knew the birds would soon be looking for homes. I dug the little houses out of the barn to hang this year, but couldn’t do it.
After all these years (well over sixty), the houses looked too shabby. Paint was peeling. Metal roofs were rusting. Years of nesting material was stuff inside, even a wasp nest cone.
I dec
ided to freshen them up.
Yes, I should have been writing on the next Fitzpatrick series book, but the little birdies need fresh homes.
I gathered my supplies, staying as close to the original colors as I could. I sanded and tightened nails then painted for several days, allowing the paint to dry between coats.
One by one the refreshed birdhouses took their places on their hooks along our porch.
We hung the final birdhouse this morning. I think the birds will love the fresh options. And, I’m sure, my Opa’s smiling.
29
01, 2021
Request Applies to Chickens
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
Dear Chickens,
I recently sent a letter to the ducks asking them to kindly lay their eggs in a spot where I could easily gather them. https://judythewriter.com/letter-to-ducks/
This same request applies to you.
I understand that the area between the fences is a nice, safe area however retrieving the eggs is difficult. I do have my multi-purpose net so I can reach between the fences but when the egg is near a thorny vine, the net gets stuck.
There are enough challenges in my life without egg gathering being one of them.
Sincerely,
Chicken Wrangler Sara (the one who feeds you, gets you water, and rescues you from all manner of dogs.)
27
01, 2021
25
01, 2021
Pandemic Puzzle Panacea
My love of puzzles began as a child and hasn’t diminished as I’ve grown older. The joy I find in working puzzles has been a blessing with this pandemic isolation.
There’s always been a puzzle on a table around my house. I graduated from working puzzles on the dining room table or a card table set up in the bedroom I shared with my sister to a real puzzle table made especially for puzzles.
I loved that puzzle table. Plenty of room for all the pieces.
Plus, the proximity to the roaring fire was wonderful during those long, cold Colorado winters.
Sadly, there was no place to set it up in the new house when we returned to Texas. I’m back to a card table in a corner of the living room.
Covid-19 has fueled a pandemic puzzle pandemonium as an antidote to the boredom it’s brought. Lots of people are working on them, and many are posting their finished products on Instagram with different hashtags like #puzzleaddict.
Solving a puzzle can offer a diversion and take the mind off everything else that’s going on. Creating order out of a pile of chaos gives the solver a sense of triumph over anxiety.
Psychologists say figuring out where each puzzle piece goes, categorizing, sorting, and searching for pieces all serve as “play therapy,” which can mitigate anxiety and other stressors. Puzzling also offers tactile lessons in patience…most of the time.
I looked for a new holiday puzzle last year. Demand for puzzles made the search nearly impossible. Last March, one game maker reported U.S. puzzle sales up 370%.
I was so excited when I finally found one I liked on Amazon, but I goofed when ordering, I didn’t read the fine print.
The puzzle arrived, and I discovered the pieces were not standard cut, but random, weird sizes cut on angles and curves. My pandemic panacea flipped into a tactile lesson in frustration.
Fitting the pieces together is taking forever. Using sorting boxes for pieces hasn’t even helped. I’m starting to wonder if Santa and the deer will be complete by Easter.
22
01, 2021
Wandering Chickens
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
We hosted Christmas Eve on Miller Farm this year. My nephew was quite enthralled. When he asked how the dogs and chickens got along, I explained all was well if everybody stayed on their side of the fence.
When he looked out the window a little later and saw a chicken walking along the fence, he was most concerned and went out to convince the chicken to return to the safe side of the fence. He could move in and stay quite busy keeping the chickens safe on Miller Farm, but I think he has higher aspirations that involve the University of Houston.
Life is really interesting when the chickens decide to venture onto the side of the fence that is not in our yard at all.
Most often they visit the neighbor with Connor – the old Great Dane. I’m not sure Conor would hurt the chickens, but the owners always work to make sure the chickens make it back to safety. Sometimes I get a text saying, “there is a chicken in our yard,” and I help bring it home.
Recently I got a text from the neighbor on the other side saying, “Rosie (their dog) found a chicken in our yard. It’s been saved and it’s now hiding behind the rain barrels.” This was puzzling as there is not only our chain link fence but a privacy fence between our houses as well. That chicken was glad to be back in its own yard and has not gone back to play with Rosie.
I discovered there are some boards missing in the privacy fence leaving just enough room for a curious chicken to explore the neighbor’s yard. The grass may be greener on that side of the fence but it is guarded by a chicken-loving dog so it is not worth it for the chickens to go there.
Instead they wander along the path between the fences. When we had the snow storm, one chicken walked further than ever before.
Max was fascinated. The chicken was quite brave with a fence between her and the dog.
I was fretting over the chickens being between the fences but not enough to climb over and get them. I have torn too many pair of pants doing that in the past.
The chickens eventually make it back. I think they go there to get away from over amorous roosters.
I figure they’ll work out a pecking order. They are chickens after all.
20
01, 2021
18
01, 2021
To Think About on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Today is a day set aside to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his accomplishments. It is also a federal holiday dedicated to a day of service.
Dr. King’s attitude on service was clear.
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
King’s words offer introspect and inspiration to find a project that forwards his vision and participate. While today’s coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns disrupt plans for many in-person celebrations and volunteering efforts, there are plenty of safe virtual activities available.
This NYT article has suggestions from several different areas of the country. A Google search using your locale will bring up local opportunities.
If you’re into parades, Houston offers their annual parade virtually on January 18, from 10 a.m. to noon on HTV and via Facebook on the Original MLK Day Parade page.
Dr. King’s nonviolent activism during the civil rights movement changed things. He passionately believed
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
MLK, Jr. Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the past, think about the present, plan for the future, and remember what is truly important–We are all in the same boat now.
Let’s make this boat we’re in a better place.
15
01, 2021
Welcome, 2021!
A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
I was kind of hoping the New Year would bring a little normalcy. On Sunday, January 3 Beekeeper Brian and I both tested positive for COVID. We only had mild symptoms but were still put in quarantine for 10 days.
My hope of being back in a routine became a struggle to teach music classes from home.
Then on Sunday, January 10 it snowed.
That may not sound like a big deal but in our part of Texas, it hadn’t happened since 2017. This snowstorm produced the 5th largest amount of snow on record.
We measured 4 ½ “.
This may not sound like a lot unless you are a dachshund whose legs are only 4 inches long.
The chickens were not fans either. They sent a scout while the rest stayed in the coop.
Got some interesting pictures I never could have imagined – chicken prints in the snow.
And, of course I built the obligatory snowman. It’s not too bad.
I can’t wait to see what this Sunday brings…
13
01, 2021
