Our Fourth of July plans have been hindered somewhat by the rain.  GH had to work this morning so I took Young Master and Little Maiden to the big parade in town.  It rained but not a down pour. 

I’m starting to think that we’re turning into cold-blooded amphibians.  Neither of the kids brought a sweater or coat and we didn’t bring an umbrella.  So we just sat on the cold, wet sidewalk and endured the rain on our bare heads and arms.  There were no complaints about the rain except that Dapper (who came with us to the parade) was starting to smell like “wet dog”.  

We enjoyed the parade and I was surprised to see a bantam rooster leading the way for the cooperative extension!

Our “barbeque” was cooked inside on the Foreman Grill while it thundered outside.  There is still no sun in sight in the forecast.  It’s really starting to take its toll on Maine’s agricultural businesses.  The state may have to declare a major disaster for our loss of crops.

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My friend, Rose, invited me to her house today to look at her flower gardens.  Little Maiden went with me.   Rose’s gardens are beautiful!   I was truly inspired.  I’d love to have flowers around the house.  Even though there was no sun, the brightly colored flowers lit up the yard.  Rose is giving a ladies ice cream social in her garden in a couple of weeks.  I can’t wait to attend!

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Well, these are some things that I need to do.  Maybe seeing them in black and white will give me some incentive.

• Put away massive amounts of laundry
• Unpack the kids’ suitcase.  (Just returned from Grammy’s)
• Re-organize the toy room
• Box up items for the yard sale.  (If we ever get some sun)
• Clean out my sewing room
• Knit some dish cloths.  (My supply has dwindled)
• Rearrange the kitchen

Maybe I should stop there.  That should be enough to get me through a few days.  Hmmmm… I wonder if I can really get it all done by Monday night.  Maybe if I can recruit a little help and have a full time cheering squad.  I’ll mark off things as I go.

June 22, 2009  Note:  Looks like the rain will continue through Wednesday now.  That’s an additional two days to the four days of rain we’ve just had.  I guess that gives me a bit more time to get things accomplished in the house.  I think we all feel like drowned rats around here…

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Now that the chicks are outside, it has become more exciting to go see them.  Every morning Young Master and Little Maiden beg to go with me to check on the chicks.  The short walk from the front door to the coop is like a field trip.  The kids race to see who can get there first.  GH put locks on the tops of the doors to keep the chickens protected from irresponsible children and clever raccoons.  So by the time I get to the coop Young Master and Little Maiden are jumping  up and down with excitement!

By now, the chicks expect to see me around the same time every morning.  They will lay in front of the door, peeking through the cracks to watch for me.  They know that they’ll get more food when I arrive.

The chicken coop is amazingly cozy.  I never thought that the tool shed would bring such comfort to me.  It really has become one of my favorite places to be.  I find it relaxing to sit and watch the antics of my birds.  It’s a place where I can come together with my kids and God’s creation in a sort of harmony that’s not forced or fake.  It’s a place where my mind feels clearer and a place where memories are captured.  Truth be told, even the sweet smell of chickens and pine shavings has a certain draw for me.

Call me weird, but I think I was born for this.

P.S.  Two exciting things happened today!  We harvested our first four radishes from the garden and Young Master lost a tooth!

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My chicks also made it through the weekend!  Willhi checked on them to make sure they were doing alright.  She said they had filled their waterer completely with shavings so she cleaned that out.  Otherwise, they did fine.

The gardens also came through okay.  They weren’t withered or torn up.  Something did dig in the spinach last night, though.  I think I’m going to have to fence it all in.

The sun is out today and there isn’t a cloud in the sky.  The breeze is very light and I’m guessing it’s in the 70’s.  I put the chicken brooder outside on the porch so the chicks could enjoy the sun and fresh air.  I put bird netting over the top to keep them in and the hawks out.

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Well, it turns out that Dapper is scared of sassy chipmunks, mailboxes, and trash cans.  He nearly jumped out of his skin when the chipmunk started yapping.  He tucked his tail and skittered in front of me, nearly tripping me in the process.  He’d duck behind me when we passed a mailbox with the door open and I nearly had to carry him passed the garbage can that was tipped over.  I had to keep telling him what a "big dog" he was so he’d be brave enough to keep going.  But Dapper isn’t scared of one thing… cars.  He wasn’t really interested in chasing them, but every time we heard a vehicle coming he’d run in front of me into the road.  I kept him on a short leash so he didn’t get more than his front feet into the road before I pulled him back.  I don’t know what the deal was.  I guess the car seems safer than the chipmunk.

Yup, I think Doodle is the right word.  A sissy name for a sissy dog.

I wonder if Dapper will be scared of chickens…

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