serena
Can we talk about chickens for a minute?
Having lived in cities for most of my adult life, I would read blogs about chickens and farms like they were exotic travel literature. Here in rural Maine, it seems like everyone has chickens, grows their own food, and knits useful things. People compliment each other on their woodpiles… The past year has been a cultural integration of sorts.
Couple that with my little girl’s intense need to nurture animals, and that leads us to chickens. Not our own (yet). Thanks to my friend Mirja, we had a chance to babysit some young chickens this weekend. The kids got to learn a bit about the care and feeding of chickens, and this mama got a glimpse of the future. It involves a lot of me trying not to hover, biting my tongue when they want to hold the chicks for the umpteenth time, and repeatedly reminding them to wash their hands.
We gave the young birds a wee bit of fresh air one Saturday. The kids ran around finding bugs for them, and Tig and I counted the chickens over and over again (eight still, phew!) The chicks got to scratch and peck to their hearts delights.
When we’re not working at the Purple Palace or babysitting chicks, we’re…
…hanging out with friends.
Looking for inspiration at the library. The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids is my favorite so far. It’s full of ideas to make your garden a magical one, plus fun activities and projects to do with your children. I’m going to add this to our personal library.
And a visit to Islesboro to visit Dinah, pet some dogs, say hi to The Dude (Stan) and collect some sea glass.
I can see summer on the horizon and it’s looking good.
Glad to see you’re all well. My two cents is to take the chicken plunge. We had them at our house in DC and wish we could have chickens on the boat. We had only three, but it was fun to come to learn their distinct personalities and to listen to their soft noises while they pecked around. They will do a number on a garden though, so either build them a run or shield your raised beds. And do secure them at night…. All the best! The DV crew
I agree Michael, chickens on a boat would be awesome, much better than snakes. Too bad customs wouldn’t agree. We’re allowed six chickens in town. As soon as we move into the main house and build a chicken tractor/coop, I’ll be ready to take it on. Great to hear from you!