Day 1178 Flock

 

One of the hardest things about the time change is tending my flock. When the sun sets before I’m even headed home, it’s nearly impossible to check their food, water, and collect their eggs in the evening. I’m out there at the crack of dawn, happy hens always running to greet me... but the struggle is real.

Sure, I can collect their eggs in the morning, which works fine until the temperatures drop to freezing at night. So what’s a gal to do? For now, I give them extra food and water and try to toss in some leaves whenever I can so they have something fun to scratch at while I’m away for the day.

I met up with my friends for a dinner date, not ready to hibernate for winter just yet.  As always, I came home feeling better about everything in life. Aren’t friends great for that? I can’t imagine life without my own flock (a little chicken pun there)… I just love my people.

It was only three of us this time, not our usual big group, but the conversation was as lively and entertaining as ever. All three of us are happily married, so there was no trash-talking our guys, but the rest of the world was fair game. I’m always amazed by how some people are magnets for each other while others repel us — but I’m so glad I connected with these gals almost twenty years ago. Birds of a feather, indeed ( I can't stop with the bird puns). 

I’ll keep working through the challenges of egg collecting, feeding, and watering my girls, and maybe one of these days I’ll finally be ready to visit the pound. Tim’s been ready, but it’s taking me a little longer.

The news reported that Tom Brady cloned his dog for $15,000...I’m not judging, though I was surprised it wasn’t more expensive and having had great pets myself...I get it. I’m sure most of us have thought about cloning our favorite pets, but maybe we’d be robbing ourselves of the chance to meet new, equally wonderful ones. Imagine if Tim and I could have cloned Quarentina...she was our all time favorite chicken. Doubt cloning chickens will become a thing. 

As the days grow shorter and colder, I remind myself that change whether it’s the seasons, friendships, or the pets we love, is what keeps life interesting. Here’s to adapting, finding warmth where we can, and staying grateful for the flock,  both feathered and human, that make every day a little brighter.

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”  Arnold H. Glasow