Thoughts for my Journal

          I cannot believe tomorrow is Mother’s Day.  The weather isn’t speaking volumes of how Mother’s Day has looked in years past.  Yesterday we had sun showers all day.  The rain has been pouring all night and this morning.  Not to mention the hens have been cackling.  I can’t sleep with that!  Nobody rescued them from whatever they were cackling about nor did the rain drown them out as they seemed to be louder than the pounding rain.

https://funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/1577805/Chicken/

         I must have slept at some point – and hard as I had another weird detailed dream.  I don’t know where Richard and I were or why.  The neighborhood was not one that I remember.  Somehow we got separated and I went to a house in which I know the woman but chose instead to go to the house next door to wait for Richard when I heard his voice inside of the first house.

         I went to the door and was greeted by one of the woman’s relatives.  I had remembered meeting her before  and apologized for my interruption.  I was led to another room that somehow continued to get larger as I looked around and saw many people – some eating food and visiting while others sat with dark expressions giving off vibes that they really didn’t want to be there.

         I sat down and observed and spotted a couple from my mom’s ward who I have not seen for almost twenty years.  I went up to them to ask how they were doing.  They didn’t seem to recognize me.  I said that we had lived on the same street when I was living in Midvale.  Some facts were distorted in my dream, but I somehow woke myself up remembering more details – and what I could have said.  Like I had served in Young Women’s with their niece and how we had dressed Tom and the bishop up as Ladybugs.  I also thought about the time when I was pregnant with Jaime and Pam and Elena had offered to throw me a baby shower (which Jaime attended when she was almost two months old).

         I have no idea why I would have dreamed about them. 

 

Jaime has her prom tonight. We are going to the salon to have her hair done.  I hope the rain doesn’t damage.  I really hope she will enjoy herself and have positive memories of the night.

Tomorrow will bring some interesting meetings.  More on that later.

The “Pit” is Starting to Show

           Pit Bulls have always had a bad reputation for being vicious dogs.  Any dog can become vicious if neglected or abused – which Bonnie is not.  She is the sweetest dog – at least to humans.  I have seen a side of her that lives up to the name of a female dog.

 

          Levi is the name of the man who has built our deck and back room.  He has a dog named Roxy – also sweet and probably kind of dumb like Bonnie.  Unlike Bonnie – who is quite overweight – Roxy is skin and bones.  She does look like she hasn’t had a good meal for a while – but she also has little interest in eating or playing with dog toys.  She would like affection and loves to chase the chickens. Bonnie, on the other hand, seemed intimidated by the mass amount of chickens that used to come into our yard.  Now she decided that she can not only chase the chickens but catch them in her teeth. 

          The chickens used to follow her.  Now they run from her – with good reason.  She has killed one chicken which I buried because I didn’t want Bonnie to end up choking on her bones.  That would be cruel irony, wouldn’t it? 

          Today she went after Mitch and Cheryl but I held her back.  I really would not miss Mitch’s pathetic attempts at crowing but not at the expense of having his corpse in my yard at the hand (bite) of our dog.  But then again, the chickens should have never been allowed to roam into our yard in the first place. 

          Bonnie has an itch that she can’t seem to locate.  She moves her head back and forth and makes growling sounds as though she is getting ready to attack.  The problem comes and goes.  I remember her bobbing her head from side to side when we first got her.  But I don’t recall her growling until recently. 

          Still loves to take walks and yearns for human affection from everyone.  But she doesn’t want to share that attention with any female dogs – though another male dog is okay.  I don’t want her killing cats or chickens or earning the reputation of the stereotyped pit.  She really is a sweet dog.  Wags her tail.  Cleans the floor.  Pulls on her leash.  Fast and heavy.

Return the Free-Range Back Where They Belong

             A few days before our family’s arrival, Jenna pointed out the chickens in the cucumber garden.  No cukes this year!  Roland is mad!!! He decided that we would quit feeding and watering the chickens and return them to where they came from and pen them in so they cannot come on our side.  I told him to wait until after the kids arrived as I thought perhaps Randy could assist as he is tall.  Before we sent them on their way, I was hoping Devan would have at least one experience with feeding them and collecting eggs.

Carrie enjoyed the free-range eggs and says it is something she will splurge on as the free-range are healthier than most of what is sold at the grocery store.  I personally don’t care about the cucumbers.  I couldn’t see Richard eating all that would grow – but now we will never know.  Not this year anyway.

The chickens are still in the yard.  Levi’s dog had chased them away – but only temporarily.  I wish Bonnie would do that.  She isn’t as intimidated by the chickens as she used to be, but certainly not a threat to them.  She was to Levi’s dog however and so he called for someone to collect her so that there wouldn’t be any trouble between her and Bonnie. 

Levi worked hard on tearing down the deck and improving the yard – only the chickens are still there and returned to their favorite haunt though in a different form.  I hope the chickens don’t inconvenience what Levi is meant to accomplish.

Just Stay at the Top of the Hill

         It’s been nearly a year since my first mention of the neighbor’s chickens.  They used to lean a ladder near the fence so the chickens could climb back into their own yard.  

At first it was just a few on the hill – not the 15 plus that have accumulated in our yard during that time.  Roland doesn’t want them under the deck and I don’t want them on the deck.  We don’t want them in the garden and so have been putting up barriers all over the yard. 

we had to add netting to the steps to prevent them from going through

 

I did find at least three of them on the inside; they had dug
under the wire to make it wide enough to go though. Roland
used some stakes for the bottom.  Hopefully that will work.

Despite our efforts the chickens have managed to dig under, fly over, or somehow manage to squeeze themselves into areas where we’d rather they not be. 

The chickens always stop near the deck and look longingly on how to get inside and have found ways to get in and will need to be chased out until we can plug up what we had managed to miss. 

a few of the chickens discovered they could enter through this hole

our temporary solution

It’s just a temporary fix at that.  We have wanted to turn the deck into a back room since we moved in.  We finally have the finances to do so (or good enough credit in order to borrow) but cannot find a contractor who will commit to any earlier than December.  Someday.  Meanwhile, we’re continuing to battle the chickens to certain boundaries – which doesn’t seem to be setting well with them.

I thought I could make some profound comparison to God’s commandments for us or certain restrictions that citizens may feel toward the mask or getting the vaccination (looking at the staff of Moses – Numbers 17: 10-12) and the reaction of the natural man.  Instead of belittling the laws or commandments and searching for a way to get back into our own comfort zone maybe take a moment to understand WHY the net is there, why the fence has been put up, why the commandment was given. 

When I saw the chickens at the top of the hill my initial thought was, “Oh, good.  They got the message.” 

They don’t understand and they return.  I think many of us do that.  We don’t understand.  We return to what was familiar – like Pre-COVID for example.  Circumstances change and often we have to change with it.  That’s just the way it is.  Hopefully we will come to terms and learn better than the chickens do.  But there will always those who disagree and voice their opinion – which they are allowed. 

We all have free agency to think of others or think only of ourselves and how the last year has affected us or our business or uprooted our personal lives without a thought of how it has been for others.  ALL OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PANDEMIC but not all reactions have been the same.  I for one like to believe I have become stronger. 

I suppose I am like the chickens to some degree.  I was okay with staying home.  I don’t wish to go back outside because I know it will never be what it was pre-COVID.  We’ve gone (or are going through) another evolution.  There’s always been hate, disagreement, hostility, etc.  just as there’s always been kindness, love, service . . . but it just seems more obvious right now.  It’s a matter of knowing where to look and choosing to follow your peers or the example of our prophets and our God. 

I had the opportunity of adding a “Vaccine” frame to my facebook profile pic. 

I know it will open a can of worms from some of those I am facebook friends with – none of whom I’ve defriended but have unfollowed many. I KNOW that not everyone feels comfortable about the vaccination for reasons other than feeling forced into it.  Some people have had bad reactions to the required vaccinations for being in public education.  But I also believe that the exceptions are few and far between.  I also believe in personal revelation.  I pray about major decisions such as traveling or health.  Prayer works.

More Staycation – More Excitement

Day 3

         Since it has been light enough to drive Jenna to seminary in the morning, I have been taking her in while Roland sleeps.  He gets the honor of picking her up as the sun is glaring so loudly that I am not comfortable with it.  Happy Doughnuts offers specials each day: Maple Bar Monday, Twists on Tuesday and so forth. Wednesday's specialty is biscuits and gravy for a dollar.  Thus after we picked Jenna up from seminary we went to Happy Doughnuts to get biscuits and gravy for Roland and me and a bacon maple bar for Jenna.

        Roland and I left the house again just before 9:00.  We drove to Canyonville to get our second shot.  Unlike the first shot where we had to get out and go inside, we stayed in the car while they came out to us to get our ID and give us our shots.  So we are now good to go.

            Since we were already in the car, Roland decided to take me to Roseburg though Jenna would have much rather gone.  I thought it would be great for me to stay home with Bonnie as we were passing the house anyway.  But Roland wouldn’t hear of it.  We spent day four in Roseburg first at Lowes because we needed air filters but also dirt, purifiers, and a replacement pair of gloves.  Oh, and fencing to keep the chickens out of whatever we plant.  They have already knocked down our tulips and Jenna and I have each straightened them out and are losing dirt.

            We then went to Costco.  I was puzzled that they were giving away samples.  But they came in small white paper baggies that customer could eat once leaving the store.  We purchased one hot dog as I was hungry and didn’t believe the samples would tie me over.  I ate the hotdog plain and shared the samples with Roland as he drove us back home.

            We then set up an appointment to take Jenna to the fairgrounds on Saturday (I plan on staying home with Bonnie that day) and I printed out a receipt with her order number on it. Meanwhile, as you wait for our next adventure, here are some photos to tie you over:

Jenna and I have both straightened the tulips that the chickens knocked over

Roland and I added some dirt

and these flowers 

and chicken wire and pinwheels which
we hope will keep the fowl creatures out

we added chicken wire to keep them from going under the deck

I took these pictures trying to capture the concern of the chickens on the outside for those "trapped" on the inside.  They weren't trapped really.  They got in beneath the stairs but were to stupid to figure out they could exit that way as well

Mitch trying to entice the "trapped" chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do have three posts of Scavenger Hunt pics (plus extras in the first post as we took several pics of the first item on the list) and will post those within the next three days.

Trying a New Method

             I don’t know how many times Roland has cleaned up after the chickens which aren’t even ours.  I don’t mind them in the yard.  I really don’t.  But I do not care for arrogance or assumptions.  We purchased netting for the deer a few years ago and the chickens have gotten entangled in it.  I asked Roland if we could use it to surround the deck.  Last night we went out and he used a staple gun which is holding thus far, but seems like it would be easy to tear.

            Roland decided to repurpose the green wire shelves that were once a part of our cheap greenhouse.  He had stapled those to discourage the chickens from getting under the porch.  Now it just looks more like we are trying to capture them and keep them – which isn’t the case at all. 

            Roland continues to feed them and we do collect the eggs that are deposited (that is if we are aware of where they have been laid.  I don’t know if the neighbors have complained any further as nothing has been done with either the pigs or the chickens.  I know there are less pigs and perhaps there are less chickens.  I don’t know anymore. 

            We’re planning on demolishing the deck and creating a back room.  We just need to find someone who will commit.  Meanwhile I have these lovely photographs to view.

Where Did You Come From?

        Another member joined the fowl menagerie team. Well, no.  Not quite.  Joining would imply that he would travel in their pack – which he does not.  He seems to keep to himself.  There also appears to be a puzzled look on his face – but perhaps it’s just the mask he wears that is throwing me off.  I wouldn't have even known it was a pheasant if Roland hadn't said anything (He was the first one to spot the pheasant and then Jenna.)  If Roland hadn't said anything I would have thought that he was a rooster trying to disguise himself.   It wasn't long ago when Jenna and I watched a goose imitate a flamingo.

 

The goose standing on one leg

        The pheasant stands by himself – sometimes observing the other chickens.  His cry is worse than Mitch’s. I don’t know what he’s thinking.  I can only guess.

 

Jenna took this one with her cell phone

        “Where is my family?”

        “Who are all these birds?”

        “Who are those people?  Why are they throwing things at the birds?”

        “Why do the birds flock to what the people are throwing?”

        “Where is my family?  Where are my pals?”

        “I think I’m lost.”

 

        I don’t know why there’s a pheasant in our yard.  Or why he continues to hang around.  The entire fowl group is weird to me.

Not Exactly a Free For All

 

There was frost on

the ground and so

were the chickens. 

I don’t understand the draw. 

 

The roosters have

gotten brave enough

to approach us.

They will look at us

in the same manner as

Bonnie asking,

“Why don’t you feed me?”

 

At least Bonnie has an

excuse to look at us

that way. 

She has been placed

in our care after all.

 

The fowl are all trespassers. 

They are not our responsibility.

I have seen their owners

feed them but evidently we

have better grass, better

bugs, better vittles somehow.

 

The roosters have discovered

the bird seed carelessly

fallen to the ground

knocked over by greedy

birds eating from the bird feeder.

 

Roland thinks it is his

job to feed all of

the stray animals except

for the deer. 

The fowl are welcome

in our yard. 

The deer are not.

 

Right now we don’t

have anything that

the deer would be

interested in.

The fowl are

welcome to eat

all the bugs they want. 

 

The garden food is

for humans.

Other animals are

not to mess with

our garden.

Sleep Disturbed

        I have never had the best sleeping habits.  2020 seems to have changed the sleeping habits of many of my friends.  I seem to have more erratic dreams somehow.  I usually don’t remember them.  Sometimes I remember pieces but never any detail.  Take last night for instance.

        I could hear the sounds of an injured animal.  At first it sounded like a dog – whose dog? We don’t see many dogs in our neighborhood.  We see a lot of cats.  Oh, wait.  Perhaps it isn’t a dog after all.  It must be the chickens.  They’re scared.  Why are they scared?  There is a mountain lion after them.  I hear a gun shot.  Oh, no.  The police are going to come around and ask what time we heard the gunshot.  I don’t want to look at the clock.  I am sooooo tired.  I’m guessing it is 2:30.

        I feel the presence of another wild cat.  He is scratching on the window.  I have to walk into the living room to get my phone.  I dismiss the dream.  I had another one.  Jenna discovered three baseball mitts in her room.  (I don’t remember why she has them) and she has decided to give one to a friend who lives in Canyonville.  I had suggested that we take them and leave all three on their doorstep.  So we’re driving towards Canyonville and the smoke from the fires thickens and makes it hard to see.  I have to turn around before we arrive to our destination.

        My bladder wakes me up and I head toward the restroom.  I happen to glance at the clock.  It isn’t even 12:30 yet.  Holy cow!  How could I already have two detailed dreams in such a short amount of time?  My stomach hurt and I had to turn on the light so I can see to pour the medicine out.  I hate the bright light waking me up even more. I get back in bed and I can hear Jenna’s electronic devices making noises.  Her friends are texting.  Give me a break. 

Roland sleeps restlessly and I reach out my hand.  He sleeps flat and I sleep upright and so we don’t cuddle.  He misses that.  I think I sleep better not being cuddled.  I don’t mind cuddling when I’m awake, but when I am asleep I want my own room.

He stops snoring when I’m touching him, but when I remove my arm, his body seems upset.  I finally get out of bed to ask Jenna if she can turn off the sound to her electronic devices.  Hey, as long as I was up anyway, I wrote all of this down – in notes.  Not in detail.  I was too tired.  I wanted to return to slumber land.

Meanwhile Jenna has a friend with a birthday coming up.  She wants to go bowling and have a sleepover with her friends.  I have told her “No” too many times this year.  I hate seeing her looking so forlorn. Stupid year 2020!