“You Know Those Aren’t Our Chickens, Right?” and “This Ain’t No Poop Deck: Be Gone!”

         I don’t know how many posts I’ve created about the fowl creatures that come into our yard.  The turkeys were still around after Thanksgiving but seemed to disappear before Christmas.  The hens have seemed to multiply though their eggs have not.  I haven’t seen any roosters except for Mitch who seems to be the source of the “pighen demon” call.  Trying to sound like Bruce whom I thought had vanished but did see him the other day.  He’s not as annoying as Mitch.

        Jenna was told by the owner’s son that the black rooster was named Bruce.  I don’t know if he personally gives the animal names or if they really do have names.  They are not pets after all – except for maybe Miss Piggy who looks like she could win tons of blue ribbons for the tons of weight she must have put on.  Roland’s special name for the pig is “Chris P. Bacon” though not an original joke as I have heard it before.

        For the most part Jenna is the one who comes up with names for all the fowl who have wandered into our yard.  She says “Mitch” looks like the kind of rooster that are popular with oven mitts and other kitchen décor – but “Kitch” didn’t seem to fit and so she picked a rhyme that worked. 

        She calls the feather-duster looking one Cheryl – I don’t know why.  I’m guessing Cheryl and Mitch are roughly the same age as they had entered our yard as babies – well, not fluffy chick type babies.  They were obviously rooster and hen but very small in size.  I figure they are teenagers right now and Mitch is a cocky teenager at that.  He has not perfected his crow but I think he thinks he’s hot stuff.

This photo does not begin to capture how many chickens come into our yard

        Jenna has named the smaller orange hens Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy.  She calls the large orange hen Merida as she seemed to be the most brave about climbing up our deck and not bothering to run when the door was opened.  She just stays as though it’s her domain.  I don’t mind the creatures coming into our yard and even on our deck until they have decided that it is their personal toilet. That does not set well with me.

        Roland just cleaned all the poo off the deck with the garden hose and it reappeared the very next morning (less than 12 hours) and so I took the meshing net that had snared one of the chickens and laid it across the stairs.  They dared not cross it until they spotted Bonnie’s bowl with the chicken livers inside.  Jenna reported that they had crossed over to delect on Bonnie’s food.  Cannibles!!!

        Roland went to the feed store to purchase chicken food and a coop for them to lay their eggs in instead of under the porch – which they haven’t been doing but I doubt that Mitch has gotten around to impregnate the females who used to lay roughly three eggs each day (that is one for each of us if we don’t count Bonnie).  Our neighbors said we could keep the eggs if they laid them in our yard.  Okay, having them invade our yard as though it is a free-for-all territory is one thing – but enticing them to stay?  What is Roland thinking?

        We have purchase a lot of eggs over the years.  A LOT!!!  Even with only the three of us their small eggs are not enough.  So we still buy them.  Theirs are brown.  Ours our white.  

The darker yolk is from one of the brown eggs laid by the chickens
The lighter yolk comes from the white eggs we buy at the store

And we have been purchasing chicken parts in another county.  We feed those to Bonnie.  I don’t think Bonnie knows she’s eating organs that resemble those running around our yard.  The chickens don’t know we have a freezer full of chicken livers, hearts and gizzards.  If they did I’m sure they wouldn’t come around anymore. 

 Begging to Be Fed.

As though feeding them has ever been our job

Somehow they believe that it is.

 If they only knew.

So Disappointed With the Outcome . . . but not totally surprised

 He was acquitted

which means he gets to keep his title

which he should have never had

in the first place.

 

He did not represent America – or

maybe he did – the gain for

nothing part of the population,

those who wanted the frat party to

go on and on,

those who thought of themselves

more than others – if

others were considered at all.

 

He said he’d make America great again. 

What great was he talking about? 

Did he think the civil war was great? 

Did he think any war was great? 

Did he think lies and deception were valuable assets

to represent America? 

 

And what is up with those

who refuse to break away

from the Republican party? 

Those who believe that dueling is honorable

and that covering up crimes is for

the good of the people? 

How could this man be impeached

twice in one term and

not be convicted?

 

Apparently there are several

who do not honor the constitution. 

There are several who don’t think

we need it or any kind of law for that matter. 

Some have the attitude that

we should be a “free-for-all” nation

with no law.  Just live how we want. 

And if others get killed in the process –

oh, well.  As long as it’s not them.

Apparently that’s the sacrifice

they are willing to make.

 

I have thought about others

who have gone into hiding or

were taken to concentration camps

and the stay-at-home order really

doesn’t seem so bad. 

 

I would rather be by myself than

clustered with a bunch of people

under any circumstances – but especially

with so many experiencing so many emotions

such as anger, humiliation, depression, numbness –

those who rattle off at the mouth

when silence is necessary.

 

I hope he doesn’t run for president again. 

I hope that if he does he will lose

by a landslide.

I hope I will have passed

to the other side if

he should win.

His win will never be

my win.

Examples of Ministering Angels

             Too often I will get several interruptions whenever  I am trying to read (any book I'm interested in) or write a post for my blog.  I failed to go into detail with my last post.  It was there when I initially sat down to create it.  After four or five interruptions I read what I had and felt satisfied that it was passable – but it does seem to be uncompleted as there are no examples.  I will now share the example that brought to mind the subject of ministering angels (aside from the latest read in the Come Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants schedule).

            Over the years Corey has posted many things on facebook that have touched me – his latest with his experience of a cat whom he and Joh named Milagro.  I don’t have either of their permission to share their story but will do so without it. (If either would like me to take it down, I will do so.  If you are reading this and it is the end of the month now chances are great that neither of them saw any reason to remove)

            It has been at least two years since they found a tom cat in their backyard whom they would leave food and other comforts.  He appeared to be a stray as sometimes he would come all scuffed up and beaten – most likely by another cat.  And they would clean him up and offer comfort as best as they could without letting him into their house.  First of all, they saw him as an outdoor cat who might not be comfortable inside but also because Corey and Joh had three female cats living inside and did not know how they would react to the male or how he would react to them.

            They eventually named the cat “Milagro” which is a Spanish word for miracle.  They saw the cat as a miracle as he would disappear for weeks at a time and neither Corey nor Joh knew if the cat was still alive.  He outlived many moments of being torn up or matted and seemingly unhealthy.

            It was Milagro that brought their fourth cat, Gabriella, into their lives.  She also needed attention to clean up her wounds or appearance or whatever may have been wrong with her.  Corey and Joh cleaned her up and took her to the vets and eventually adopted the bundle of joy.  They will always be grateful to Milagro for bringing her into their lives.

            I don’t know when exactly that Milagro had disappeared from their lives.  Corey had been off facebook for quite a while and so I don’t remember the details as he  had not posted anything while he was on his facebook break.  Quite recently Milagro made another appearance.  I believe he was mangled and had obvious health issues.  Though Joh and Corey were still reluctant about bringing Milagro into the house, they couldn’t watch as Milagro suffered.  Thus they took him to the vet and were given medicine.  They also purchased a chip so that they could keep track of him should he disappear again.

Joh made a special place for Milagro to be in the house and away from the girls.  They cared for him and did not let him go until the medicine was gone.  Meanwhile Joh had posted pictures of Milagro in the event he did belong to someone.  They did receive a phone call.  The cat’s name is “Cookies” and while Joh was on the phone with the owners mother he could hear a girl’s voice in the background saying, 

"Mommy, I never prayed, but last night I decided to for the first time."

Ministering Angels. Corey. Joh. Milagro.  The inspiration that Joh received to post Milagro/Cookie’s picture.  The answers to a young girl’s prayer. And that is only one example.

Ministering Angels

 

          Who or what are ministering angels?  Angels are not necessarily heavenly beings.  Angels come in forms of next door neighbors, friends in the community, even strangers.  I may have related the experience that Roland shared with me about a time in his youth he had picked up a peer who had either been later for work, stuck in the rain, missed the bus . . . or whatever.  We don’t know her story only that she was grateful that Roland had “rescued her” and still thinks about how he saved even to this day.

          I have been grateful for many occasions when others have served me – such as giving me a lift or changing a flat tire when I have been stranded or coming to my rescue when my family has been in need of food.  We have had many angels serve us and we in turn serve others – often those we had not even met before but feel prompted to pay it forward and will continue.

          I had shared a TikTok of a woman praising the Mormons in her time of need during Hurricane Laura.  She referred to them as angels.  We have had many angels assist one another through the fires and rebuilding homes and an incredible outpour of giving.

Sometimes angels can come in the form of animals.  They can lift in ways that some humans cannot.  They provide a sense of unconditional love. I am grateful for all the angels that have been a part of my life and I am grateful for the opportunities that I may be an angel to others.

Between Two Weathers

           Joseph Smith knelt in a grove of trees in fervent prayer and was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  This is known as “the first vision” which took place in early spring 1820. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/image/the-first-vision-fe5db8d?lang=eng

According to the equinox the first day of spring begins at the end of March (usually 20 – 22 depending on the year I guess) and ends in June on the same numbered date.  My definition of spring includes blossoms on trees, buds starting to peek their heads out of stems promising to become flowers.

https://beneaththewraps.blogspot.com/2016/02/spring-arrived-early.html

 I have always seen spring as a promise of growth.  That means no snow, no wind and no darkness. Or so was my belief when I lived in Salt Lake.  I remember seeing the blossoms and buds appearing in February 2016 our first year in Oregon.  It is so different from Salt Lake. The grass is green from October to June. 

 

https://beneaththewraps.blogspot.com/2016/02/spring-arrived-early.html

There hasn’t been much in the way of snow though we’ve had days of bleakness, heavy rain, fog and winds.  There are signs of snow in the hills – but it doesn’t last.  Still, I have seen more signs of autumn this year than of spring – which should take place in six and a half weeks.  The grass is green in Oregon but buried beneath the snow in Palmyra.

It was probably 2 and a half months after the date of the first vision when my family visited Palmyra on June 14, 2020 so today would be closer to the date of the first vision than would our only visit.  There has been speculation that March 26, 1820 (here and here) was the actual date of the first vision – but it is only speculation.  Artists portray the first vision as happening in the cool green grass and doesn’t give the impression that the ground was still muddy with moisture left by the winter snow. 

https://bookofmormoncentral.org/blog/celebrating-the-restoration-
day-3-differences-and-similarities-in-the-first-vision-accounts

 And yet there appeared to be a lot of snow on the ground in Palmyra yesterday – not that I was able to go in person, but through the inspired technology I was able to attend a virtual tour offered for seminary teachers and their students.  The pictures I took look so much different than the ones I screenshot yesterday morning.  Of course not all of the locations are exactly the same.  

    I am also sharing some inside pictures that we were not able to see in June due to the pandemic.  A virtual tour would have looked differently then.  I think I appreciated it more yesterday than I may have in June though who can say for certain. 

angling the appearance of Father and Son

it isn't known exactly which part of the grove They appeared

one experience that was shared was about hiding 
the plates in the loft and an empty stone box below.
The empty box was found and the culprits smashed
the box and left.  They hadn't bother checking the loft

I never understood why those who claimed not to 
believe in the plates would try to find them

the focus was on the temple.  I did
not get a picture of the temple
when we'd gone in June

This fireplace is said to be one of 
many hiding places of the golden plates

yesterday

June 14, 2020

Randy and Carrie have moved back to Utah now.  The photographs we took are now distant memories.  It’s pretty likely we will not be returning to New York again.

Saying Good-bye

             I have been able leave the house a bit earlier in order to pick up Jenna from seminary.  I think there is a combination of morning light and glow from the snow in the hills.  I feel so fortunate that I was able to pick her up while the sky wasn’t showering us with moisture.  It did start raining pretty hard once we got out of Myrtle Creek and started our journey into Tri-City. 

            Roland and I had watched 60 minutes on Sunday.  The first story focused on the changes brought to us by the cornavirus and how “normal” is a thing of the past as many have lost loved ones and were unable to send off with a proper closure – especially in the beginning of the pandemic.  Millions of Americans have crossed to the other side and funerals seemed null or sparsely attended out of caution and often regulation.  It’s sad.

            My brother Corey has been in a slump and added these words from a song called the veil.  I have tried listening but cannot seem to locate through YouTube but he posted these words to his facebook wall:

 

Are you up there

Looking down here?

Can you see me

Looking for you?

Can you hear me

When I call you?

Do you soothe me

When I cry?

Do you hover

In the darkness

When I'm aching

Before morning,

Just to cradle

Me a little

And to get me

Through the night?

I never believed

In something so strange.

Sometimes I swear I hear

You calling my name.

If you're out there

And can hear me,

Perhaps we can do it this way.

I'm open

To anything

If this is the way it must stay.

We could travel

Forever

With the clouds and the stars in between.

If only I knew

You really were there,

I'd make it through all the time I've left here,

I'd learn how to walk

And to blaze a new trail

With me over here

And you beyond the veil.

Are you settled

In your new place?

Have you worked out

Your arrangements?

Is it like the

Things I've heard of,

Full of beauty

And serene?

We never did talk

Of these things when we meant to,

Never planned it would turn out this way.

If you're out there

And can see me,

Perhaps we can meet in between.

Leave a message,

I will find it.

I'll look when awake and in dreams.

And we'll travel

Forever

And ever like nothing has changed.

For when I know

You're really there,

I'll make it through all the time I've left here.

Just give me the secret

To blaze this new trail

With me over here

And you beyond the veil.

Me over here

And you beyond the veil.

Roland's 3rd Kindle

           A few years ago a friend of mine had given me her old kindle.  She said she wanted me to have it so that I could read or play games.  I brought it home and had Roland look at it and create an account for me.  He did so using his Amazon account.  Whenever I turned the kindle on it greeted me as Roland's kindle

Roland's kindle (though it's not)

 I wasn’t much for reading electronically, but did enjoy the games.  I mostly played word games. After a while I had played the games and turned to daily puzzles which I would download before I left the house.  That way I could play them while I was on my lunch break. 

          After a while the kindle decided to spaz on me and would claim it would recharge but then it give me the kindlefire sign and I couldn’t get past it.  I did nothing with it for a few weeks and Roland decided to restore the kindle – though I don’t know how – unless he could do it through his computer?

          I reloaded games, tried some new ones, and started from scratch.  Though it was the same kindle that I had used before, it greeted me with being Roland’s second kindle.  I continued to download daily puzzles before I left the house.  Even during the pandemic when I knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere.  I wanted to continue being in the habit so that when the pandemic finally came to an end ( I didn’t think we would still be struggling like we are after just one year that has felt more like 10)

          Just before Christmas Roland purchased a new kindle which he believed would be bigger, weigh less, and wouldn’t have to be charged as often.  He succeeded with the latter two but the new kindle that he got me for Christmas was a kindle paper white to read books and not play games.  I didn’t think it was a very good fit until just last month.  There are still several books that I would like to purchase as they really don’t cut it on kindle – nor can I mark them the way I would like or reference them in a way that I can with a tangible book.  But I do find I am enjoying being able to read and return without having to worry about shelf room that doesn’t exist in my house but does in the cloud.

 

Roland's 3rd kindle (but not really)

          My new kindle greets me as Roland’s third kindle – even though I have been the sole user of both kindles and I have read a lot more.  I continue to use both kindles – one as a book and one for playing games.