After a long week involving bad weather, a funeral, and a failed vacation I am ready for the pending sunshine due next week. As if I hadn't had enough trouble with the chickens, Tuesday morning I let them out for some pecking and exercise only to find that Princess has hopped the 6-ft fence separating my backyard from the HIGHWAY!! and Lucy is no where to be found. Princess, who got her name by acting as such because calling her B*tch is just inappropriate. She is rather mean and unsocial. Yet, I don't think I've ever seen a chicken happier to see me. She paced back and forth as I tried to climb the fence. Its old. I'm old. I recalled scaling any fence as a child with ease and delight. This fence, as I straddled it hoping not to flip over and break my neck, got a few choice words that wouldn't be said with ease or delight. Finally on the ground and questioning whether any of the passersby on the highway were going to call the cops on me, I picked up Princess Featherbutt and gentle tossed her back over the fence. Chore #2 was getting my own butt back over which proved more difficult as I did not have trees on that side to help me balance on. Alas, made it over, Princess was safely in the coop, and Lucy was still missing. Fast forward to next day, mid afternoon, Lucy returns. I don't know if she wrote her own version of "City Chicken, Country Chicken" and visited a long lost relative out on Taylorsville farm or what. She seems fine and happy to be back. I am happy she is back. My dwindling poultry population has got me quite skittish about adding more to my flock.
I was feeling particularly down today. Lots going on. But, lots to be happy for. Weather permitting, this is going to be one fantastic year. I got a Valentine's card from my farm sister, Karla. If I was to model my life after someone, it would be her. I'm not sure if she really knows how she has impacted my life from her many miles away, but one of my New Years' resolutions was to be more like her. I also plan to become closer to her and do more for her this year if possible. If anyone deserves my time and effort it is certainly her. Her words of wisdom have carried me through a few near tragedies this passed year and have helped keep me focused on my strength as a person, not without giving credit to the big guy upstairs who gave it to me. Along with my Valentine's day card, I stopped by Bunton's Seeds, a local supplier of all good things in the garden. I was giddy when I found the employees still packaging seeds and putting them on the shelves. Now that's fresh! I bought some pumpkin butter from a local farm, and several packets of seeds. Sugar pumpkins, Danvers carrots, Orange Bell peppers, Buttercrunch lettuce, Green Sprouting Broccoli, Snowball Cauliflower, and Lettuce Leaf Basil. Some of those I plan to start tomorrow. Some of them I bought because, darn it, I just wanted to look at the seed packets!!
Tomorrow marks the start of my 2011 garden plans. My heart is skipping just typing that. I have been waiting and holding off for as long as possible. My journal is ready. My seeds are ready. And my hands need dirt on them. I'll keep you posted. :-)
