A Floating Life

Little Miss Precious Daffodil didn't make it through the day yesterday. Mr. Moon buried her out back and I'm so sorry. He got home before I did from the great moving adventure and I'm grateful. I don't think I could have handled seeing her little cold body. This is my first chicken death and I know it was only a chicken and I'm not crying or anything but it's sad. And I feel guilty because I probably stressed her out by picking her up and making her pose for a picture.
So we're back to fifteen chickens and that's really okay, although I'm sorry she died. She was so tiny and I guess I just didn't know what to do with such a tiny little peep or maybe see was ill. The rest of them seem to be fine, eating chick food with a furious intent, pecking insanely at what they perceive to be bugs in the walls of their little cage, then settling down in a heap for naps.

It was a long day yesterday. The moving went fast and furious and it was actually pretty fun. Miss Maybelle and I stood in the truck and took the boxes and stowed them away and then the boys moved the big things in. Then they all took the truck over to the new house and Miss Maybelle and I stayed behind and swept and Fabulosoed.
I saw the new house earlier in the day and I sure am happy for Billy and Shayla. They have a dishwasher! And a refrigerator which makes ice! And Billy has a den of his own! And there's a guest room for Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw AND a nursery room. And two bathrooms! Plus a big fenced back yard for Mini Pearl and Axel, their two dog-beasts.
They deserve it and have worked long hard hours for it and I can't wait to see it all fixed up and with a new baby in it.
Lord, children, time flies.

Ms. Lily had a pregnant-lady breakdown yesterday. She called me and cried so hard I couldn't tell what she was saying and I was scared at first- what if something was wrong with the baby or with her? She was just sad. She wants a house so much. I understand. I do. You want everything to be perfect when the baby comes. I keep telling her that if they still live in their apartment it'll be okay. Babies don't take up much room if you don't buy all that plastic crap. Not at first, anyway. All the room they need is in your heart. But still, I understand. And when May and I finished up cleaning we went to see her and we made her laugh and we hugged her and May offered to go to the grocery store. "I don't know what I want to eat," she sobbed. "How about some hummus?" I asked her. "That would be good," she said. "And some cut up fruit?" "Uh-huh." And there you go- she just needed her mama to tell her what to eat. It made me feel so needed.

Then I went to the grocery store myself and bought snacks for the trip we're going to take today down the St. Marks River in the boat to celebrate DownTown Guy's birthday which is coming up on Wednesday. I was so tired that I just kept wandering around the store in a daze. And then came home to Lloyd to hear about Miss Precious and heat up some dinner from last night and check the big chicks who are fine and fancy and went to bed.

And today we'll go out on the river- something we used to do on Sundays a lot when the children were young. It's a winding, cold river with beautiful North Florida jungles on each side. Once when my husband and his dad were out fishing there they saw dolphin, herding mullet up onto the shore and then half-beaching themselves to eating them. Once they saw a deer swimming across the river. Now I've never seen such fanciness, but I've seen rednecks whooping and hollering and quiet people fishing. They wave their hand when you pass by and we wave our hand back. "Catching anything?" Mr. Moon will ask and they will either smile and nod or shake their heads. It's all okay. It's a day on the river. Once we got into a huge mess of mullet and Mr. Moon netted as fast as he could and the fish jumped all over the boat and we took them home and I fried them up and that was as sweet a meal as you could want.

That's us for today. Off again and the weeds are growing waist high and the chickens will have to take care of themselves but that's okay. I love it when my babies still want to do the things they did as children. It shows they had some good times as kids and that makes me happier than anything.

Sunscreen, mosquito repellent. Corn chips and salsa. Sodas and maybe beer. I don't know. Big hats and do I have a damn bathing suit? Shit. I hate bathing suits.

But I love my family and it'll be fine to get out on the river and watch for amazing sights and the most amazing to me is watching them, all grown up, smiling, Mr. Moon at the helm of the boat, me laying back, making metaphors in my mind about flowing rivers, overhanging ancient cypress trees, gray hair and travels through a life.