Saturday, June 13, 2015

Taking Notes

Cardinal sitting in a beam of light from the setting sun. Reddest thing I've ever seen.

Husband home but he left again to go help Vergil with some kitchen stuff and he's on his way home again. He brought home some of the food they made while he was at the beach- a low-country boil with shrimp and crawfish, sausage, potatoes, corn. That's going to be our supper along with some green beans from the garden, some cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Eating is mighty good this time of year.

That bird's still sitting there. I think he's just taking in the beauty of the end of this fine day. He's not making a sound, just looking around. I would not be surprised at all to discover that birds enjoy such things. I know if I try to take his picture he'll fly away. I'd rather not disturb him.
Whoops! Mick and Nicey and Chi-Chi just came running through the yard and he flew away. Aw well, I've written it down. It happened.

Red bird watches sunset through magnolia leaves. 

A not-quite still life.

I'm thinking that the two young chicks are both hens. I don't see one sign of rooster. Of course, I could be very wrong. If I'm right though, the white one with black markings shall be called "Elvira." Perfect. Still not sure about the red one. I'm thinking about it. Maybe Owen will come up with a good name. They seem to be doing well although they are still not an accepted part of the flock. They keep their own company on the fringes. Yesterday I took some tortillas out to crumble for them and they flew across the yard to be first at the feast. How a creature with such insignificant-looking wings can fly, I do not know but they can. They fly low to the ground but they do it.
There may be a metaphor there but I don't really think so.
"What did the author MEAN when she said this?"
Uh. What she said?
I always hated that part of English Lit. Hated it.

And now the man is home and we're about to have a martini walk-about. I'll show him where I weeded in the garden today and he won't be able to tell a thing but I have to brag. I'll show him the zinnias and we'll ooh and ah over the big, fat tomatoes coming on. We'll admire the blooming phlox and probably laugh at our miniature flock of chickens and a duck.

I'm mighty glad he's home. And I hear that Jessie and Vergil have a stove and a refrigerator now. It's all coming along.
Life is a process. I am pretty sure there is no real beginning and no real end except for the obvious ones of birth and death.
It's good to remember that.
It's good to take joy where we can from it, to note things like a cardinal in a beam of light. To hold hands. To say "I love you."

You hear what I'm saying?
Good.

Love...Ms. Moon






12 comments:

  1. As I was reading this post I was thinking of comments as I usually do: things like a boy who came up with Eggy Tina can surely be counted on to name many chickens. But then as I finished reading I was hit with the strongest thought that your blog is like one of the best books I have read. You could publish these years of writing and it would be a best-seller. Thank you for letting us read.

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  2. I do hear you and appreciate what you are saying, it is good to have reminders. I let my meat birds and new egg birds out for the first time today...They started out in total terror cause I had to push them out from inside, but then they really loved some warm sun bathing and scritch scratching around! The egg birds are 1/3 the size of my little roastlings, but so lively and delicate and ready to explore.

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  3. you could name the other lady chicklet pricilla or prissy for short, seeing as she is elvis' daughter...


    with love from the feral mitten

    xxalainaxx

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  4. Oh Mary! At about the time you were watching your cardinal,I was watching one that had landed on our air conditioner and was just sitting there taking in the sun setting through the trees. I started to take its picture, its red color was just extravagantly vibrant, but decided to just watch it as it surveyed the world instead. Now, reading here,I do believe we had a moment communion, you and I! I am home from the west coast. I flew home this afternoon. And the cardinal stopped by to remind me how connected we all are. I love you.

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  5. Jill- In a way, this is better than any best-seller because I get to write and have conversations about it and sharings every day.
    Thank you, though. So much. For being part of it.
    And yes- if he came up with Eggy Tina, that boy can definitely name a chicken.

    Big mamabird- There is nothing so joyous and soothing as watching chickens scratch about in the dirt. I swear.

    Mrs. A- I think you may have figured it out. "Prissy." I had a cat named that once but it makes a perfect name for a hen who is the granddaughter of Elvis.

    Angella- I should be amazingly shocked and surprised but I am not. I am just nodding my head and thinking, "How lovely!" "How perfect!" I have been thinking all day about how connected we all are so that was a perfect bookend to it all. Thank you.

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  6. Elizabeth- I know you do.

    Denise- You know too.

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  7. I first read it as ' raddest things i've ever seen '

    :)

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  8. Yes, Owen is the Master of Chicken Names. He'll come up with something. :)

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  9. Oh Ms Moon, I wasn't going to comment on everything, but you make me! That bit about metaphors just struck me like an arrow. I keep reading books and thinking at flowery language, good descriptions, apt comparisons, I could never do that! But some people are just more literal. Like to say what they say and mean it. This is not wrong, just different. Not that I don't sometimes use a comparison, but I do like to spell it out. I love you and your blog!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.