Athena is a Campine hen. She talks to me whenever she wants something. And lately the Maran that has been taking over one of the nests to do her broody work has irritated Athena beyond words--or in her case--beyond yelling! That particular nest is a favorite of all the hens for some reason, but Athena does not think she can lay her eggs in any other nest--period! So out we go while she is screaming her head off at that Maran and throw the Maran into a nice container of hay that even has three eggs in there. No, she did not stay and disturbed Athena even more. So, out there to do it again. This time the Maran got put in the nest on the top shelf. Her head was up over the top with that gleam in her eye that said, "Just you wait. You are gonna get it!" So in a few minutes another trip will be required to see if Athena got to keep her nesting place. Sooner or later a couple of those plastic file cubes will have to come home from Walmart or Target so the birds can fuss over them because of their location rather than the fact that they can see out the holes in the sides. Life is complicated if one is a hen.
Currently have four dozen eggs on the kitchen table. Need to figure out the best way to get them down to Saginaw or beyond so the kids can have them. It is not like FedEx would deliver eggs. UPS would not do it either is my guess. And the kids are all working now, so there's that. No foot-loose and fancy free kiddos any longer.
My tee-shirt is sopping wet. Got out and ripped some of the five-leaf ivy off of the posts next to the flower bed. Then uncovered the amaryllis so it could get enough light to show it off. SO pretty! Bright reds are always pretty in the flower beds. Think that is why the poppies are so becoming to this old hill. They wave at the breezes and still don't fall over. The bachelor buttons are pretty with their blue ruffles, but the poppies just show off more. Jack Culpepper said the bright yellow ones on long stems are probably coreopsis. They are pretty, too, but have a tendency to fall down in heavy rain and not stand back up.
The rain gauge only said one quarter inch of rain this morning. Seemed about right. It quit raining after the coop doors were opened, so it probably stopped by eight. The weather forecast is for more of the same for over a week. Not going to gripe. Got the grass mowed on Thursday evening before all the rain started, so if it wants to grow during this next week, it is welcome to do so.
The mockingbird is still coming to her nest and only scolds slightly. Wondering about her. Still only two eggs. But a wren--or two--have declared this area their territory. Know that they will ruin another bird's nest in a heart beat, but hoping that won't happen. Have a nesting box on the front porch that a wren started building in last year. But so far no more building has begun on the front porch.
Opened a jar of dill pickles and discovered that their skin is tougher than boot leather. Have never had that happen before. Maybe it was a hard year for cucumbers?
Have not read very far into the book Nineteen Eighty-four. Vaguely remember it from reading it years ago, but then just a few books have been consumed since then. RE-reading a book is ok if one has enjoyed it the first time, but do not remember thinking that the scenarios in this book were even possible. Well, duh! So much for not believing things like that were possible. Recently wrote something for the blog that was not something posted on FB. Think Marilyn Smith is the only person among you all who reads the blog on Mesquite Country instead of on FB. She did not say anything about that particular post, so not sure if she read it. It was not a very positive post because it was talking about doing away with old folks by reducing their medications or removing their ability to get what they needed. It could happen. Connie said this morning that she was not sure she would want to live if she had to go dig her food out of the front lawn. Suspect many folks would feel that way. Thinking about Yogi Bear and his saying, "Nuts and berries! Yuck!"
Recently came across a video that Hanan made of us sitting on the deck with a hen eating ice cream out of my spoon. We wondered if she had brain freeze after she popped her head up and opened her beak real wide. That hen was Chicken Butt. She would have come inside and lived with us if she had been allowed to do so. Funny little hen.
Tomorrow is Jennifer's birthday. Think she will be 47 if my math worked right. She has always been a sweetheart. Her daddy thought she was just about the most beautiful thing he ever saw. Yes, and her mother had a tendency to agree, but now it is as much about her personality and character as it is the beautiful face and way she does things. Mothers are always blessed with the best kids, but some of us know it for a certain fact! Father-in-law always said that every ol' cow thought her calf was better than any other calf. He was right, but so was this ol' cow!
Dearly beloved, it is 85 degrees and humid. Guessing that the AC unit will have to be uncovered soon. sigh Have to move the TV in the living room and the dog crate in the bedroom for the summer. Not sure if the kitchen AC will be needed right now. It is a big one and cools the kitchen, hall, and small bathroom. But it also drinks the juice. Closing up one room at a time does not make it so difficult to cool things down once it gets hot. The living room is the easiest to cool in a way even though it is larger than the bedroom. It contains less stuff. May turn the couch around again and just put a chair over next to the bookcase. The dogs won't like it because it will interfere with their wabbit watches. Oh well. Will just have to pin the curtain up over the top of the AC so it will not be in the way. Such fun.
Let's pray that this strange weather does not send any tornadoes out over West Texas and Oklahoma. Not sure that BillyeRuth has a cellar out there in Paducah. But the way the weather blows in, it would probably come in the middle of the night! Maybe Skip McBride will let us know what to look for every day. He is still a weather man even if he does not do it on TV any longer.
Some of the evangelicals are buying bomb shelters to put in places in Israel. Now that makes good sense. Not sure how effective they are, but it is bound to be better than sitting inside a school waiting for the roof to be shot off. Such a sad life to live when everyone hates someone else. May God give us peace.
An online friend, Jane Scott, has cancer and developed thrush and sores in her throat. If you would, please say a prayer for her that she will be able to eat and drink without pain. She is tough, but such pain is hard to deal with on top of everything else.
Sitting here remembering teaching my horse to pick her feet up by putting posts on the ground at intervals and riding her over them. Sometimes it feels as if those posts need to be on the ground in front of me so that my concentration will be on what is necessary instead of having my head up looking at everything else. Maybe God is giving me reminders of what is necessary.
Think maybe a trip out to the front yard to look for more seed pods from the buffalo clover might take my mind off of other stuff. May you each find something that keeps you happy. May you rest when you lie down at night and rejoice in a new day when you get up in the morning. You are loved.
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