Chicken Wrangler Sara Archives - Page 18 of 39

12 07, 2019

Memories

By judythemorgan|2019-07-10T08:25:30-05:00July 12th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|5 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Times are changing on Miller Farm. It’s just Beekeeper Brian and Chicken Wrangler Sara in the house now so we are painting and rearranging rooms. In this process we have made some interesting discoveries.

Behind the lawyers stack, for example, were some posters. Most were disposable but one brought back fond memories. It is a large poster with Sara Lynn carefully written in it in large bold letters. It belongs to a long ago time in my life – my junior year of high school.

The senior class was holding auditions for their variety show and my group of friends decided to do a humorous skit about Julius Caesar. At the last minute everyone backed out leaving me alone at the auditions.

I had been taking piano lessons all my life and always had a song ready for performance. So, without any plan or preparation when it came time for my group to audition, I sat down and played a Tarantella.

As it happened, my piano performance was chosen to represent the junior class in the variety show. They asked for the name of my act and all I could think of was my name.So, they put my first and middle name on a poster that I have managed to hang on to through three children and two countries.

The experience of performing in the variety show was actually very lonely. I sat by myself at the rehearsals and even won a patience award. This should have been my first clue that performing was not the career for me. I much prefer being surrounded by kids making music in a classroom. This is especially true during the summer when school is not in session.

5 07, 2019

Unlikely Coop Mates

By judythemorgan|2019-07-01T17:01:08-05:00July 5th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The chicks I brought home from school have grown considerably. I had them in their own pen but one of them kept getting out. Then they all started roosting on the chicken wire.

Every night I would go out and put them all in the coop so they would not get eaten by whatever was hungry for chicken at night. Then in the morning I would open the coop and let them out into their pen.

Eventually they all followed the chick with wanderlust and began exploring the larger pen with the big hens. They seemed to do fine so I stopped locking them up at night.

One morning I found all four chicks in a pen with one of our roosters.We had separated the roosters to prevent them from fighting. I was initially concerned about the safety of the little chicks. Apparently this rooster does not consider them a threat and is leaving them alone.

So once again my plan for organizing the flock is undermined by the plans of the chickens. Oh well, as long as everyone is happy and safe.

21 06, 2019

Gertie the Great White Whale

By judythemorgan|2019-06-20T10:43:15-05:00June 21st, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog By Chicken Wrangler Sara

Beekeeper Brian and I were married August 15, 1987. In November of 1987 we purchased our first car – a 1987 Honda Accord LX. We named her Gertie the Great White Whale, or GGWW.Gertie carried three babies home from the hospital. She and Curtis the Camel Car were our means of transportation until we moved to Mexico in 1997.

Since moving back from Mexico we have owned many cars of many makes and models. The three babies have grown up and learned to drive. Some of the cars have gone to live with our children. Most recently Catherine and Caleb purchased the Honda Fit I had been driving. Brian and I began the hunt for a new car for me to drive.

Rachel has moved closer to where she is attending graduate school and Bill has graduated from high school, returned to China and will attend college in Denton. This means that Brian and I are once again alone in the house.

The car we purchased to replace the Honda Fit is a 2017 Honda Accord LX. Brian named it Gertie the Great White Whale Take Two or GGWWTT. We have come full circle.

7 06, 2019

Another Children’s Book

By judythemorgan|2019-06-06T09:17:28-05:00June 7th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog By Chicken Wrangler Sara

Rachel has worked as a personal assistant for a woman named Jane who is visually impaired and has somewhat limited mobility. Rachel takes her 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 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 bumble bee.

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. In that moment I hear in my head “Oh what a peaceful ranch” and hope no one gets stung by a bee.

31 05, 2019

Circle Dogs

By judythemorgan|2019-05-29T21:00:32-05:00May 31st, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

My collection of children’s books includes one with the title “Circle Dogs.”It begins “In the big, square house live the two circle dogs” then goes on to trace a day in the life of two dachshunds repeating this line at the end.

I could write a similar book.I would have to change the first line to “In the not-so-big square house live the six circle dogs.”

17 05, 2019

Smart Chicks

By judythemorgan|2019-05-16T20:40:22-05:00May 17th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Several classes at my new school hatched chicks recently. It has been fun to check on them especially during the stress of the last weeks of school. I think “chick therapy” is a great thing.

This morning the 2^nd grade teacher told me she had found homes for all but three of the chicks. Being a Chicken Wrangler, I felt compelled to wrangle them to our house. When I went to pick them up, there were actually four that needed a home.I figure since these chicks were hatched at a school, they should be smarter than the average chicks. My only question is will the ones hatched in the 6^th grade class be smarter?

10 05, 2019

Disappearing Flowers

By judythemorgan|2019-05-09T16:07:15-05:00May 10th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We have had the prettiest yellow flowers in our yard this Spring. I am sure they are in the dandelion family and so should be considered weeds however, they are cheerful each morning and they make me smile.

Therefore I will leave them alone.

The bees really like them. Therefore Beekeeper Brian will leave them alone.There is an interesting phenomenon, though. When I come home each afternoon, they are gone. I thought at first they had all died but the next morning they were back. They remind me of morning glories only they are yellow. Between the storms that have come through our area each week, Beekeeper Brian mowed the yard. Now the flowers are not even there in the morning.

I’m hoping they will return as the grass grows. Everyone around here needs a cheerful greeting in the morning.

3 05, 2019

The Early Duck…

By judythemorgan|2019-05-02T21:37:09-05:00May 3rd, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Now that the ducks are in their new space, we have settled into a new routine on Miller Farm.

Each morning I feed the chickens their fermented chicken feed and give the ducks cat food. I haven’t found a specific duck feed and the cat food has the calcium they need so it is all good.

I also retrieve the egg that Lucy lays. In the afternoon I throw some feed to the chickens and ducks and gather chicken eggs.

On Fridays I empty the “duck pond” i.e. wading pool, and refill it with clean water. Last week when I turned it over to empty it, there were many worms underneath.

Lucy thought it was a feast.

Ricky was a little slow so he missed out.

I guess it is true – the early bird gets the worm – even if the bird is a duck.

26 04, 2019

Perseverance

By judythemorgan|2019-04-25T15:03:37-05:00April 26th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The orchid I was given as a secret pal gift at the beginning of the year got knocked off the counter and the stalk broke. I was more upset than I should have been and had to remind myself that it is just a plant – a plant that makes me smile.

I gently reattached the broken stalk and hoped for the best. Months later it is blooming again.

I think it needs a bigger pot but I have been told to leave it alone while it is blooming. Apparently orchids are very delicate. That makes the fact that mine has persevered through the broken stalk even more amazing.

Perhaps I can learn from my orchid and persevere through the end of the school year. And as long as my orchid is blooming, I can do it with a smile.

19 04, 2019

Bees and Bluebonnets

By judythemorgan|2019-04-18T07:15:51-05:00April 19th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Being true Texans, Beekeeper Brian and I have bluebonnets in our yard. These came from seeds handed out at the funeral of Brian’s step mother. Each year the patch gets larger. It makes me smile.

This year Brian noticed the bees on the bluebonnets. He watched as the flowers opened what seemed like a doorway to allow the bee to collect pollen. It was fascinating.

He was able to get some great pictures. (Did I mention Brian has a degree in photography from the Art Institute of Houston?) He is a man of many talents! The only thing better than bluebonnets in our yard is our own bees on the bluebonnets.