Monday, April 18, 2022

A Peaceful Day


I slept until 10:00 this morning and I did not feel guilty. Maurice hung in there with me and showed no signs of remorse for her sluggardly ways either. It took me awhile to shrug off the extremely strange dream I was having about my high school Spanish teacher who had reincarnated to being the manager of a low-rent ocean-front motel where I was staying. Also, there were babies. I frequently dream of babies and I am generally worried to death about taking care of them properly. I do not think this requires deep interpretive powers to explore the whys and wherefores of that situation. 

So I took it slowly this morning, or what was left of it, and I got to talk to Lis on the phone for a much-needed catch-up. I don't even want to tell you what all SHE'S been doing but I'll just say that as usual, it involves making a myriad of people happy, well fed, and entertained. We can also say that she makes my piddly little dinner for thirteen yesterday look like a week-long spa visit. 
I do not know how she does it and would die if I tried. Flat-out die. 

I had planned to do nothing more ambitious than laundry today and I did get laundry done, some of it on the line, some of it not. I also knew I needed to clean the hen house and eventually got that done as well. Now- here's some news. 
Tiny little Violet? Ancient, aged little Violet? 
She is sitting on eggs. 


It's an Easter miracle! She hasn't come back from the tomb but she has come back from what I thought was permanent retirement. You know how surprised I was when she started laying eggs again a few weeks ago. Yesterday I thought possibly she might be thinking about brooding and last night when I braved the storm to go shut up the hen house, she was not on her usual roost in the rafters but on a nest with two eggs beneath her. And she was still there this morning. And again when I cleaned out the poopy straw. She did get off the nest while I was hanging laundry and looked about her in that brood-daze that hens get when they are sitting and when I went to look at her nest, this is what I saw. 


One of the other hens was laying on her nest and Darla, for reasons unknown to me, was observing the situation. She so rarely gets off her nest that there must be a good reason but I don't know it unless she had plans to steal the egg and take it to her nest. 
Chickens!
And... to top that all off, I swear I think that my other Barred Rock, whom I am going to say is Annie, is sitting in a corner of the coop on the floor. 


She is not spreading her tail feathers and she is not making the thrumming noise that brooding hens make so I could be wrong. On the other hand, she may just be getting herself settled. I'll keep an eye out. I'm here to tell you that if we have three hens hatching eggs, I am going to let the mamas take care of any resulting chicks themselves. I am not going to pen them up and try to protect them which sounds cruel but Mr. Moon would have to build an entirely new shelter for them all and he's got too much on his plate already. 
We shall see how all of this unfolds. 

Yesterday Steve Reed commented on one of my posts about the Dollar General wetlands situation and suggested I call the Department of Environmental Protection. I was gobsmacked! Why had I not thought of this? 
I think one of the reasons was because when I asked my county commissioner if there was anything that could be done at this point to halt the building on that site, she said, "Nope, not a thing. All we can do is try to change things so this won't happen again."
But what the hell, right? 
So I looked up the number for FDEP and called them and by golly, the lady listened to me, got information from me, and told me that yes, Dollar General had been permitted through them last December for that site. But, she would pass on the information to the Compliance Department. She took my name and my number. 
Within half an hour, I got a call back from FDEP telling me that I should call another number for the Environmental Resources Permitting department and so I did. Again, I talked to a very nice person who was responsive, who also listened, asked for all the information I had as to location and so forth, and said that they would look into it. I got the feeling that when he said "look into it" that he meant that they would actually send someone to LOOK AT IT! 
I also posted the numbers on Facebook, figuring that the more people from Jefferson County who call in about this, the better the odds that the various departments would take it seriously. 
I do not have huge hopes that anything will change but at least someone with some authority has been notified. 
I am so grateful to Steve for pointing out what I should have thought of to begin with. 

I was going to plant my red pepper sproutlings today too but never got around to it. Instead I mopped the kitchen. Yesterday's gathering brought unavoidable dirt-tracking into it and I just had to do something about it. I did go out to the garden to bask in the glory of it after all the rain we had last night. Would you look at these beans? 


They are amazing. 
The whole garden looks lovely and I very much want to spend some time in it, weeding, mulching, planting my little sprouts. 


I picked a few sugar snap peas and will cut them up into my salad tonight. The collards that have bolted need to be pulled and there is garlic that was planted in a shady spot that is done growing that I should also pull and let dry. I have already picked some of it and used one head in my cooking already, fresh and juicy and delicious. 

Mr. Moon is having a good time with his sister. He said they stayed up until almost one last night, talking about places they lived as children. What a beautiful thing it is that they get these visits. 


There's my faithful companion. She's cozied into the laundry basket that is still holding one sheet, folded off the line. 
"Smile, honey!" I told her when I snapped her picture. 
Well. I'd say she tried but you know cats. 

Love...Ms. Moon



29 comments:

  1. Maurice's nose looks a lot better. Not so scarfed.

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    1. That is true but her left eye looks a little swollen to me. That girl cat just will not stop fighting.

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  2. a most fetching cat smile if ever i did see one! Pleased to hear that you are on track, called the right folks and that Steve was enough on the ball to suggest it! Whew. maybe it won't get built and that would be swell!
    Your garden!! i would love to have a garden like yours up here in cold wet dark town!!Your entry way looks A-May- ZING!!

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    1. Maurice is a super model. As all cats are. I sure hope I've called the right people. Damn.
      My entryway looks amazing because you can't see the paint peeling off the mildewed ceiling. Ha! It is pretty though, isn't it?

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  3. Good idea to follow up with DEP. Steve's a Floridian, and was a reporter there way back, so I guess he's seen stuff like this before.

    After hosting a big number yesterday, I'm glad you just fid little today.
    I love the Henhouse Happenings. It could be a newsletter, the politics of those fellers.

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    1. As you will read in my post this evening, I am not the fantastic chicken mama I think I am. Or thought I was. Blergh.
      Steve is awesome.

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  4. Your friend Lis sounds like our friend Diane. She's going to be 90 next month and she's still going like a house afire all the time.

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    1. Yes. That will be Lis in twenty-five years.

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  5. Beans and baby chicks! What a great summer you are going to have. I like the light fitting in your entrance hall.

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    1. The light fixtures were here when we got here. They could definitely use a good cleaning but it's a whole process and not an easy one.

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  6. What a very fine hallway you have. I would love to see more of your house inside! Lovely photo of Miss Ginger cat. I had 5 cats over many years, but never a ginger, though I do feed my friend's ginger cat ( Daisy) when they go away.

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    1. Ginger cats can be feisty. As I know. I think they are pretty.
      Maybe someday I'll do a photo tour of the house.

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  7. Gosh! Your front hallway looks so shiny clean! Nice!
    Your garden is really growing! You will have lots of wonderful food to can, cook, eat, enjoy, share! Well done!

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    1. The front hallway just looks clean. Trust me. It's all done with smoke and mirrors. Since Glen has sort of taken over the garden it has really, uh, blossomed? I'm proud of that boy.

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  8. Aww, sweet Maurice! Even if the DEP thing doesn't result in direct action, they can make sure other nearby properties and drainage aren't harmed. So bravo for making that call! I hope it all works out for the best, whatever that is. I imagine there's a sense of freedom that comes with deciding to let the chicks fend for themselves -- but I also wonder if, when it comes down to the wire, you'll feel the need to intervene after all.

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    1. I hope you're right, Steve. I sure would hate to think that there are no laws governing that sort of land misuse. It's crazy.
      As to any future chicks- it's like you know me or something. I'm already fretting to tell you the truth.

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  9. The light in your front hallway is just so magical. Enjoy your day with your chickens and your feline companions.

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    1. I do so love that view of the hallway out to the porch. Especially that time of day and this time of year. I can feel the house breathing.

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  10. I would guess the mama hens ought to be able to take care of their babies in the larger world. Your garden is so pretty as usual. It always makes me want to do a food garden again. I have four tomato plants this year. It's a start. and good for you for calling the EPA and good for them for being open and listening. I'm sure you would have gotten a completely different response if TFG was still in office.

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    1. I know that mama hens are fierce and attentive and will stop short of nothing to protect a baby. There are so many threats to them though. Hawks especially, I think. And even though the cats don't pay any attention whatsoever to the grown chickens except to sometimes observe them, who knows what they'd do to a chick? Especially the ferals around here. Listen to me- I'm going to talk myself out of the root hog or die plan.
      I would not be surprised if you get as many tomatoes as we do this year. Container gardening can be very productive.

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  11. Leave it to Steven (and you) to maybe save a whole wetland! Violet brooding made me all emotional, that sweet little mamma, maybe wanting to have some babies just for one last time ..

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    1. Well, like I said, I'm not very optimistic about this whole Dollar General thing but it would make my heart so happy if the project got canceled.
      I don't know that hens have any choice whatsoever when broodiness comes upon them but it is nice to think that Violet would like more babies.

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  12. Steve is a smart guy, isn't he? :) I hate Dollar Generals but recognize that in some rural communities they make a big difference in the access poorer people to have to food and supplies.

    I'm glad Mr. Moon is getting this time with his sister. It always warms my heart when Gregg spends time with his sister or brother. They love each other very much, but life gets busy and too much time can slip past without them seeing each other. I know it would make my late mother in law so happy to know that her three kids still try to see each other when they can, and still enjoy each other's company.

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    1. I'm with you on the Dollar General thing. Wouldn't it be awesome if the government subsidized really good food sources for underserved communities? I guess that would be socialism though and we can't have that now, can we?
      I wish I felt as close to my brothers as Glen and Brenda are. They truly love each other and yes, enjoy each other's company.

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  13. I frequently have dreams about protecting children too - weird huh. But look at you going all revolutionary over the Dollar Store! You may not get anywhere but well done for trying!

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    1. I had yet another helping-a-baby dream last night. It's like a defenseless child has to play a cameo in each of my dreams. I don't feel very revolutionary but I do feel as if I am trying which I just simply had to do.

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  14. so glad you followed Steve's suggestion and you got to talk to *REAL* people to boot! May the ball get rolling with other people on board! Your entrance is just stunning. Are your bedrooms upstairs? Love the staircase as well........like Scarlet Ohara era (almost). Happy Mr Moon can spend time with his sister....and for you, some *me* time. And yes, Maurice does seem to be smiling.....it's a Mona Lisa-ish smile, though. very cat-like~!
    Susan M

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    1. I was so shocked- it was so easy to reach a person when I was making those calls yesterday. Unheard of! But very gratifying. And they sounded like people working in an office, not just some operator fending off people.
      Yes. It's awesome that Glen can spend time with his sister. And I am NOT hating my solitude. At all.
      Maurice is just a pure charmer, isn't she? Haha!

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  15. Your Entryway is gorgeous, I J'Adore Old Houses, such Character that modern ones lack. Dear Violet, having her late little Family! And the Cat pix stole my Heart.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.