Chicken Wranger Sara Archives - Page 2 of 7

8 04, 2022

Ruckus on the Ranch Version 2.0

By judythemorgan|2022-04-08T08:29:01-05:00April 8th, 2022|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog By Chicken Wrangler Sara

This book is still one of my favorites and a favorite of all my classes. They regularly ask for the “Whoa Ruby, Whoa Wyatt” song. They really enjoy galloping around the room.

This year, I have a new angle.

I ask myself the question “How many times can I gallop around the room without being in pain for the rest of the day?”

The answer is usually “one less than I galloped.” Getting older is hard on the body but I’m not quite ready to give up playing with the kids.

Ruckus on the Ranch – the original from Jun 7, 2019

Rachel has worked as a personal assistant for a woman named Jane who is visually impaired and has somewhat limited mobility. Rachel takes her to the places she needs to go and helps her around the house. Last April Rachel and I took her to see the Texas Tenors for her birthday. Jane enjoys music very much and in fact, we sit together at Bible Study so I can sing alto to her soprano when we sing the hymns.

Before we even went to our seats, I stopped at the merchandise table. This is usually a bad idea but in this case, there was a newly published children’s book entitled Ruckus on the Ranch. It was a gift we could all enjoy. It tells the story of two horses, Wyatt and Ruby, running amuck on a ranch and being chased by all the farm animals as well as the cowboy and cowgirl. They eventually get tired and lay down to rest. All is quiet until… Wyatt gets stung by a bumblebee.

Of course, there is a song sung by the Texas Tenors that goes with the book. At the part where all is quiet, the three men sing “Oh what a peaceful ranch” in beautiful harmony. It is my favorite part not only for the music but also because when I play it in my music class, all the kids lay quietly.

Then when Wyatt gets stung, they all jump up and start galloping around again. It is the perfect song for when the classes need to get some energy out – like the month of May. It also gives me a workout as I gallop around with them.

Sometimes on Miller Farm, the chickens run amuck. Then I put food out and they all get quiet. At that moment I hear in my head “Oh what a peaceful ranch” and hope no one gets stung by a bee.

1 04, 2022

Peeping Cooper

By judythemorgan|2022-03-31T21:35:31-05:00April 1st, 2022|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

There are advantages to having a large dog versus a small dog. For one thing, I don’t have to worry about stepping on him. Nor do I have to reach down to pet him.

There is one thing I will never get used to, though, seeing him in my kitchen window.

You’ve heard of a peeping Tom? Well, meet peeping Cooper.

25 02, 2022

Convention Finds

By judythemorgan|2022-02-24T21:10:37-06:00February 25th, 2022|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

One of the best parts of the music convention is the exhibit hall. There are hundreds of booths with thousands of magical things.

Since it is for all levels of music teachers, there are fundraising ideas for bands, orchestras, and choirs, costume ideas for bands and color guards as well as fun things for elementary and preschool.

Each group has its own section, so I walk around the fundraising section getting samples of popcorn, fudge, and whatever else they offer. Then I spend the rest of my time in the elementary section. There I can find instruments, puppets, books, bulletin board ideas, and many other things I didn’t know existed.

This year I added a finger puppet to my chicken collection:

I also look for a new instrument every year. Keeping with the fowl theme, I found a shaker that sounds like a duck.

I actually bought two of these because….why not?

When I showed one of my sixth-grade girls my new things she said, “Mrs. Miller you are silly!”

Yes, yes I am, thank you very much!

11 02, 2022

Embracing Different

By judythemorgan|2022-02-12T15:40:17-06:00February 11th, 2022|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I have cracked literally hundreds of eggs in my lifetime. As a chicken wrangler, it may be closer to thousands. Our chicken eggs tend to have thicker shells. The duck eggs have a thicker membrane inside the shell.

Most of the time, however, the eggs crack the same way.

We have one chicken whose eggs consistently crack longways:

This was disturbing at first. I was holding the egg and expecting it to crack like all the others. Feeling it crack in a perpendicular manner was totally different.

Many things in the last two years have been totally different. This, too, was disturbing at first. Teaching remotely, wearing masks, limiting physical contact – it was all strange.

As much as I would like to return to “normal” (whatever that is), I have come to accept that different can be ok. I am learning to embrace different.

1 10, 2021

Lizard’s Song

By judythemorgan|2021-09-27T09:14:26-05:00October 1st, 2021|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

When I went to unroll the hose to refill the duck pond this morning, I encountered a lizard. It was an anole to be exact.

I explained to him that I needed the hose and perhaps he should move. He was not convinced. I moved the hose and he jumped onto my foot.

As I began to walk, he moved to the ground. When I returned, he was waiting by the spigot. He seemed very happy when the hose was returned.

It reminded me of a children’s book – Lizard’s Song.

Lizard is quite happy living on a rock and spends his day singing “Zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli rock is my home, rock is my home!”

His friend Bear loves this song and begs Lizard to teach it to him.

After many tries, the Bear is still unable to remember the song. Lizard suggests that perhaps Bear change the words to “cave is my home, cave is my home.”

This works and Bear goes on his way singing “Zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli cave is my home.”

It is a sweet reminder to be happy with what we have. It also got a song stuck in my head this morning – Zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli, zoli hose is my home, hose is my home.”

It is fun to think of our three children singing this song as they read this. You’re welcome!

10 09, 2021

New Acquisition

By judythemorgan|2021-09-04T05:37:31-05:00September 10th, 2021|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

A friend of mine regularly posts pictures of things she is giving away. I am quite impressed with her dedication to decluttering.

One week she posted a picture of nesting dolls with instruments. I could not resist. I messaged her to say that I “needed” them and arranged for porch pick up.

Once I had them in my car, I immediately started taking them apart. I was amazed at the number of different dolls there were.

I was showing them to a piano student who is particularly fond of arranging things – especially the things on top of my piano. I would think it is a distraction technique, but he is making good progress so when he asked to put all the individual dolls on the piano, I allowed it.

I am very happy with my latest acquisition. It makes me smile!

30 07, 2021

Through the Magic Gate

By judythemorgan|2021-07-29T09:36:57-05:00July 30th, 2021|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The morning glories are doing really well this year. In fact, they are once again taking over everything in their path.

I suppose I could try to contain them to the side fence, but I am inspired by their tenacity. Our back gate is covered.

Every time I walk to the back yard, I feel like I am going through a magic gate. It is much more fun to think of it that way than to think about the reason I am going – to mow the grass, check on the chickens, fill the duck pond, or any other number of farm chores.

I’ll trade my mundane tasks for an imaginary magic kingdom any day.

23 04, 2021

Recipes

By judythemorgan|2021-04-21T09:09:07-05:00April 23rd, 2021|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I collect recipes to help with my stress-relief baking. I tear them out of magazines, cut them out of newspapers and picked them up at grocery stores, back when they handed out recipe cards. I even have some that I picked up at the State Fair of Texas including my famous sweet potato biscuit recipe and the kids’ favorite skillet burritos.

I’ve tried to type them all into a data base so I have digital copies, but my memories of these recipes are attached to where I got them. If they are all in the same format in a digital file, I will never recognize them. I look for the recipe I need based on where I originally found the recipe.

Not a particularly effective way for anyone else to find my recipes, but I know where they all are.

For example, I wanted to make forgotten cookies recently. This recipe came from my mother. Shortly after Beekeeper Brian and I got married, she gave me a notebook with note cards of all our family recipes. It has the forgotten cookie recipe in it along with my Aunt Nita’s mashed potato roll recipe, my Grandmother Hixson’s chocolate and butterscotch pie recipes, and my Mother’s Blueberry Delight. (Notice the lack of vegetable recipes mentioned. =) The notebook is falling apart and so I must gently take it off the shelf and gently put it back.

I suppose I could replace it – but I won’t. Eventually there may be no need for paper recipes at all but that won’t be until after I’m gone. I will always use my various scraps of magazines and newspapers, and especially my notebook with my mother’s hand written recipe cards.

16 04, 2021

Stress Relief

By judythemorgan|2021-04-15T08:07:59-05:00April 16th, 2021|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Baking is my stress relief and the past year has had plenty of stress to relieve. I particularly enjoy making biscuits and scones – really any breakfast food.

With only Beekeeper Brian and myself at home, I have had to find ways to bake and not weigh 300 pounds. So each Sunday, I take breakfast to the praise team at church. We meet at 7:00 to practice and stay through the service until almost noon so the gesture is much appreciated and there are seldom leftovers.

Both biscuits and scones require the use of a pastry blender. I’ve seen a picture on Facebook of one asking if anyone knew what it was. I was somewhat offended at the suggestion that only old people use pastry blenders.

I have actually been through several pastry blenders in the past few years. I tried one that had a slightly different design and broke two of them before I gave up and went back to the original crescent shape. It has held up to my stress relieving routine but sometimes looks a little worse for the wear.

5 03, 2021

A Gift for Rosie

By judythemorgan|2021-03-05T08:18:48-06:00March 5th, 2021|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I think I have finally convinced the chickens to stop laying their eggs between the two fences.

However, one of them has found a new place – in the neighbor’s yard.

I texted my neighbor to tell her there was an egg behind their unused chicken coop. I told her either she has ghost chickens that are laying eggs, or it was a thank you gift to Rosie (the neighbor’s dog) for not eating the chicken when she wandered next door.

In either case, it has only happened once. The chickens are now laying their eggs in the coop – for now…