Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Life In The Slow Lane, Part MXI Or Something


 This may be a plant called Ozark Sundrops and it may not be. After a short bit of googling that's the very closest ID I've come to. If I could figure out a really good plant ID app for the phone, I'd even be willing to pay for it. Whatever those lemony yellow flowers are, they are blooming gloriously along Old Lloyd Road and the sulfur butterflies hovering and darting and dipping among them looked almost exactly like blossoms which had taken wing. Same color, similar size. 
Beautiful. 

I saw Jacob on my walk today. He's the man who sits outside his house, sometimes with his wife, sometimes alone. Their house is next to a few other buildings, some of which other people appear to live in. Probably like a family compound of some sort. There are always a plethora of cars waiting to be repaired along with big parts of machinery of all sorts and other assorted...stuff.
Today Jacob's sons were out in the yard, working on a car. After Jacob and I greeted each other he nodded to the men and said, "These are my sons." 
I said hello but neither one of them seemed in the least interested in even acknowledging my presence. Since I can think of at least ten good reasons why they wouldn't want to, it didn't bother me. I'm generally surprised when anyone does acknowledge me. Jacob and his wife do, Pinot certainly does. No Man Lord does sometimes and sometimes he doesn't. 
I respect that. 

Beyond that, my day has been completely uneventful. I actually dusted and polished the piano and cleaned the keys with alcohol as my mother taught me to do so long ago. I cleaned off and polished the hallway vanity that is a de facto altar of sorts and also the low cabinet where the TV sits in the Glen Den. And that was enough cleaning for me. 

Mr. Moon, on the other hand, was busy all day long stringing fishing line between posts he mounted on the garden fence to deter the chickens from flying into the garden. He even strung bright yellow plastic strips from the lines and before he was finished, the chickens demonstrated that they were not in the least disturbed by the lines and could easily manage to slip in between them. I could hear him yelling at them as the day progressed, his voice going from faintly amused to downright NOT IN THE LEAST AMUSED! 

When he finally gave it up for the day and came inside I said to him, "All that work!" which is a family saying. Once, when Mr. Moon took Hank and May fishing on a little pond, he had the fish they'd caught on a stringer in the water tied to the boat, and somehow, they all slipped off and May, who was probably about four years old cried out, "All that work!" 
To be polite, my husband smiled when I said that but again- he was not really amused. It was a lot of work, really and truly, and all for naught at this point. 

Here are two of the bad chickens. 


Eggy Tina and Pinto. Eggy Tina was enjoying a dust bath which is something that chickens not only love to do, but need to do. It helps clean their feathers of parasites and they love wallowing down into the warm dirt, letting it sift between their feathers, and sunning themselves. As I always say, they remind me of bathing beauties, perhaps Rita Hayworth sunning herself beside the pool at the Beverly Hills hotel. 
My lovely ladies. I am so glad that my chickens have free and ample access to places where they can enjoy this necessary ritual. Their favorite places to do this are right next to dense undergrowth where they can quickly hide if danger threatens. Chickens are quite aware of the many predators which are always about, be they dogs or hawks. Roosters have different calls for ground threats and sky threats and are always watching closely for both. 

And really, there's little more to say. Some days I seem to take an unconsciously planned day off of the horrible, terrible news. I did start to watch a video online this morning of Sarah Sanders defending Trump as if it were still her job and in the middle of it I thought to myself, "Why in hell am I watching this?" 
And I clicked it off. 
I already know how it ended. 

I would rather hang my clothes on the line or feed my sourdough, thank you very much.
And so I did that. 

Be well. 

Love...Ms. Moon




29 comments:

  1. rather rude of Jacob's sons not acknowledging you in the least.....VERY rude, in fact. Well....what goes through peoples heads- we cannot know. I am reminded (after seeing your girls sunbathing in the freshly *thwarted* garden*)......when I had my first flock of hens 28 years ago -I saw a young hen out in the dirt rolling and turning upside down and I called my landlady frantically saying *one of my hens is having a stroke*. LOL.....she talked me through this on the phone.....calmed me and told me this was very acceptable and normal behavior. I recall that well to this day......and bless her heart she is no longer here to recall it with me........ but I learned a valuable chicken lesson that day!
    Susan M

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    1. Chicken behavior which seems strange when we first see it becomes quite obvious when we learn what it means. I never cease to be fascinated by these birds.

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  2. Lord, my chickens are the naughtiest too. Through the neighbor's fence, over the neighbor's fence (thank goodness the neighbors don't care), in the upper arms of the baby cedar, and yesterday I came outside to see the three hens madly pecking at the coop door and singing their danger song and Duck, the baby, happily walking around the run having busted her way out of the back of the coop. And then later, Lilac the barred rock threw herself against the screen door, ripped the screen out and happily walked into the kitchen.

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    1. I have the first two barred rocks I've ever had and they delight me with their curiosity and spirit. I am sorry, though, that your lady ripped the screen out.

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  3. Never a dull moment with hens. I wonder if those young guys are the kind that don't talk to wimmin!

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  4. I've never had chicken experience, or car tinkering. I'm an expert at groceries and spent more than an hour today. Actually a bit more at a second store. Got it all in, sorted and put away, and laid down after lunch "for a minute". I woke up after supper.

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    1. It has become exhausting to do the shopping. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

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  5. i have those flowers in pink- they bloom from april to almost the end of june here- evening primrose!

    xxalainaxx

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  6. If you are looking for an app to identify plants try "picture this" My son told me about it and I like it a lot. The first week is free and then.. you know... you forget to remove it and it is there. I have had a good time with it identifying all of the junk that grows around my school house and everywhere else that I go. It identifies the plant and then tells you what it is good for.

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    1. Yes! Rachel also recommended it and I have downloaded it. It is worth the thirty dollars a year to me.

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  7. “ Since I can think of at least ten good reasons why they wouldn't want to, it didn't bother me.”
    Well it bothers me, you are a lovely person , well worth a hello
    Their loss

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    1. It's complicated. I'm going to talk about this in tonight's post. But thank you, John.

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  8. I'm with John...bothers me that folks can't spare 2 seconds to say hello to you. Their loss indeed. Twits.

    I am with you on the news. Haven't watched any TV for years and now it seems I've even lost my tolerance for newspaper headlines that seem to be filled with more and more hate-filled stupidity.

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    1. Our local paper is mostly headlined with local news so that's okay although lately there have been infuriating stories of protestors being arrested.
      But I know what you mean.

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  9. Chickens can be like those dumbass people who refuse to wear masks in shops - they will not play by the rules. However, there must be something that The Full Moon can do to keep them out of the garden. Digging a moat might help. Stick two or three young alligators in there too. That should do the trick.

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    1. A moat would not help! They can fly! They'd fly right over the moat, alligators and all.

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  10. I logged out of Facebook on Sunday for the first time in years. I am not going back until after the election at least. I really miss the good things like keeping up with real friends lives, but I just decided no good can come from me there right now. And I feel quite a bit less anxious without it.

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    1. Good for you, Jill! I just don't have the guts to do it. I don't really have a huge friend list so I don't see a lot of the garbage that some people have to see.

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  11. I'm feeling much less stressed though in the back of my mind I know things are deteriorating, Trump and the republicans more vocal about refusing to accept the results of the election, and by vocal I mean silence from republicans. but I'm not reading or looking at any of it. today I go do some volunteer work.

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  12. Yeah, I'm feeling like that about the news on most days. I think I'm just exhausted. LOL

    I wonder how Rita Hayworth would feel about being compared to a chicken?! I imagine keeping them contained is not an easy task, especially when they want something.

    I agree with the other commenters -- it seems downright rude for those guys to not greet you or acknowledge you. Some people!

    Are those flowers evening primroses?

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    1. If Rita kept chickens and loved them as I do she would probably be most pleased to be compared to one.
      At least that's what I'm telling myself.

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  13. Chickens doing what chickens do. It's like me and our beagle, being a beagle. Drives me crazy sometimes. Oh well, it is a short drive:)

    Still on holidays. Katie gets measured for a new wheelchair today so there's that. My grandson is still sleeping upstairs. His mama had a meltdown yesterday. It is tiring dealing with her and I feel bad for my grandson as he gets older he'll have to deal with her shit. Even worse, she's the better parent of the two.

    But today I'm painting so I'll enjoy that. Take care Mary and stay safe.

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    1. "...short drive." My husband says that about me too. Lovingly. But he's right.
      I've said it before, I'll say it again- you are a saint.
      Love you, woman.

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  14. I’ve had to take a break from the news and commercial TV. There comes a point where you just can’t take any more reminders about how fucked up things are. The ads are relentless in our swing state, wish we could fast forward to Election Day. Maybe not. That’s going to be another stressful shit show. Poor Mr Moon. All that work.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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  15. I do thing current tensions, anxieties, stress and the rollercoaster of emotions can be affecting people in all kinds of ways we will only see by their Silence and Countenance, if not their Words. I'm trying to be particularly compassionate these days towards everyone, and kind, that's all we can do and I know you're one to do that too. It makes the World a slightly better place even in the midst of chaos, confusion and horrible things swirling around us all.

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  16. My friend has the Plantsnap app on her phone and is very happy with it - just in case you don't like the other one!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.