News from the Hen House

Well, we've had a visit or two or three from a fantastic looking, albeit troublesome visitor.  A lovely fox has been making visits to our ladies and gent, and up until a week ago, has left thwarted.  Last week he made off with our best layer, such a sweet gal.  She was one the of first chicks we hand raised so she was gentle and a GREAT LAYER!  She laid the biggest green eggs I've ever seen.  We will miss her very much.  I was comforted to know the neighbors children who heard the news said a little prayer for her :).  Now that makes me smile.

Another thing making me smile just so happens to be taking place in the Chicken run as well.  Just today when I was out doing the daily watering and feeding I saw a flurry of activity back behind the bushes. When I looked closer I noticed all sorts of song birds down in the run's dirt pecking around.  At first I thought they were picking up Chicken feed scraps, but I don't leave food out in the run?  Upon closer observation I noticed these dear, sweet, winged creatures working very earnestly to pick up loose feathers from the chickens.  They are literally feathering their nests with the ladies cast off feathers.  BIG smile :) !

I guess it's true what they say:

One Hen's trash

Is another Wren's treasure.

Oh how I love the dichotomy of life!

Blessings!

Silence is Golden

It's true what they say, "Silence is golden,"  and I've been enjoying many golden moments this Spring.  That's not to say that I've been anti-social.  Quite the opposite.  This past month I've been lucky enough to take two trips which allowed me to enjoy the company of my family near and dear, and far and wide.  I've been accepting and enjoying more tea and lunch dates than I ordinarily do.  All this activity has been lovely.

But, it's been those moments of connection in my daily yoga practice that are nourishing me and propelling me to say "Yes!" more often to life.  This practice has become very dear to me, so much so that I find myself turning to Mommy Chicken less (but I'm still here!).

So, I'm popping back in to say, "Hi!  I hope you are all well and getting out there are saying 'Yes!' to life this Spring."  Many, many blessings on your journey, and I leave you with this lovely little prayer from a pretty dynamite woman:

The Fruit of Prayer

The fruit of silence is prayer
the fruit of prayer is faith
the fruit of faith is love
the fruit of love is service
the fruit of service is peace.

~ Mother Teresa

This body is not me; I am not caught in this body.
I am life without boundaries,
I have never been born and I have never died.
Over there the wide ocean and the sky with many galaxies
All manifests from the basis of consciousness
Since beginningless time I have always been free.
Birth and death are only a door through which we go in and out.
Birth and death are only a game of hide-and-seek.

So smile to me and take my hand and wave good-bye.
Tomorrow we shall meet again or even before.
We shall always be meeting again at the true source,
Always meeting again on the myriad paths of life.

~Thich Nhat Hanh