Lessons From a Blind Chicken

OK..so this is going to be about a blind chicken...the light colored one in the photo.  And no, it doesn't end badly.

Our chickens all have really really boring and descriptive names, Red, Sonny, Cher, (of course), Sneezy,Floppy, Beaky, Augie,Pretty and...Blindy. All of them came to us by accident. We never intended to raise chickens, but they selected us, so we were stuck.  Since then I have become quite attached to them and discovered that chickens are really quite personable and surprisingly smart.  And, they have a very complex social life...pecking order as it were...that very much mirrors that of humans... scarey.  Plus..they look silly when they run (also like some humans I know).

So...about a year and a half ago, we noticed that one of the hens was developing a cloudy color to her eyes and definitely going blind...but she was otherwise healthy and the other chickens showed no sign of illness, so we watched and waited. We thought we were going to have to "put her down", but she seemed to be adjusting and like any sightless being, orienting through sound and using her feet to feel carefully along. And better still, we noticed that the other chickens were looking after her and directing her. How neat was that.

Still we expected she would not make it through the winter...but she continued to surprise us. She thrived. When  it was icy or snowy, she simply stayed at the coop when the other chickens went out to scratch around.  And, while she occasionally went astray, if we called, "here chick chick" for a couple of minutes she would find her way to us.  She has learned the sound of our voices and sometimes just "coos" and waits to be picked up and carried to the coop.

Why some fox or hawk or other predator has not grabbed her while she is out and about in the daytime is a mystery to us. But she is now going into her second winter as a blind chicken and doing quite well navigating about and scratching around happily for whatever it is that chickens scratch up to eat, with her feathered friends.

 Our wonderful animals here continue to put me to shame with their resilience and optimistic approach to life. They are brave and smart and funny and never waste time feeling sorry for themselves  (well, at least they don't seem to) or trying to be what they are not.  Every day they teach me lessons about living a rich life. I am so honored to know Blindy!

Rediscovering the Broom

A while back I was cleaning house at the B&B only to discover that I was out of vacuum cleaner bags. Now, this is a problem because the vacuum is ancient and bags can only be purchased on the Internet.

As I kicked the vacuum cleaner  into the closet, I happened to notice a broom and dustpan leaning against the back wall. Childhood memories rushed back to me...days when my mother actually swept the floor. Humm. It was an unpreposing broom, just the simple kind made with broomstraw and the dustpan was one of those copper colored things with dents and odd stains.

So just for laughs, I decided to see if the old broom had what it takes to clean up as well as the vacuum. And, much to my surprise it did and a whole lot more to boot.  First, I found that it was easy to use...much easier than wrestling the vacuum cleaner around and fighting with the cord and bumping into walls.  The broom was 100% portable and did just what I wanted it to do instead of having a mind of it's own.  Plus, it went places the vacuum cleaner would never reach..under radiators, behind the refrigerator, along the wood mouldings...even along the ceiling.

Than it was light weight..not hard on my back, or arms. It worked fabulously on rugs as I could turn it so that it fluffed up the rug and got out all sorts of crumbs, etc. If there was something stuck to the floor, the broom scratched it off. What an amazing invention.

Last but not least, it was insanely quiet. No whirring, no screeching. It made it's on little rhythmic noise, swish, swish, swish, tap tap. I could hear the radio while I worked. I could hear the phone ring. I could hear the birds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was easy exercise while I worked. And, it didn't make a lot of dust or belch out odd smells or hot air.

So I have gone green with my broom and dust pan. I am saving money on electricity and vacuum bags. I'm not sneezing and my cleaning stress level is down. I actually have time to think and problem solve while I am sweeping with MY BROOM.

Now all I need is one of those dust pans with the long handle so I don't have to bend down to scoop up the fruits of my labor!

I'm Positive..Maybe

Negativity is all around..It is coming at us from every direction. Bad things are happening. Extraordinarily bad things are happening.
Really?
Faced with all this input of dire predictions and bad news, I see two options:
A. Run around waving my hands over my head, shrieking in panic
B. Finding some logical way to cope with what may or may not be real.

As humans, we have one huge thing working against us..our brains, our imaginative brains, where we can conjure up huge anxieties, misunderstandings, dire anticipations and all sorts of creepy crawly scary scenarios.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Is this some cruel joke of nature to give us this brain which can create works of art and brilliance as well as anger and misunderstanding?  OK..relax, I'm not going all philosophical.

I do think though, that we should give ourselves a break and try to calm down and realize that most of the information we get, we filter through our less than perfect brain and it never occurs to us that we can chose to see good as well as bad. Admittedly, being scared gives an adrenalin rush, but being happy and positive gives  a much better endorphine party.

The weather is hot...crops and animals are dying and people are really suffering. This is a truth. But it is also a fact of life on this planet that can be dealt with and overcome. It is not a signal of the end of the world...it probably is a signal of global warming...also something that can be dealt with. It is difficult and uncomfortable and economically troubling...but again, it is survivable and can or might just end up in the long run, being a benefit if we chose to learn from it and cope.

Look at your dog, cat, goat, whatever. He lives in the moment. He doesn't torture himself with "what ifs". His only anxiety surfaces when he realizes he is on his way to the vet's office and that even disappears if another dog is there. Animals don't get up in the morning and say,"oh gosh, I hope I don't have a stroke and die today", or "It looks like it's going to rain today and my hair will be ruined and all that money I spent on a great haircut will be wasted and everyone will look at me and laugh at me and think I am ugly and then I won't get the job I need and I will STARVE AND DIE and no one will care or come to my funeral and my greedy relative will steal the inheritance that I wanted to save for my son, if I ever got married, which I never will because I'm ugly and no guy will ever want to marry me".

See what I mean here?

The world and life have always been tough. Really tough. There are no guarantees of happiness, wealth, success, long life, steady job, a roof over your head, the love of your life, fair weather everyday. Life isn't fair to anyone. It is full of crazies, war, nasty relatives, unfaithful friends and lovers, rain, wind snow, accidents and generally things that are nonsensical and unreasonable.

So experts tell us to destress and give all manner of destressing suggestions..few of which really work well if you are stressed, but instead intensify the stress because you feel guilty that you are unable to destress.  Instead, next time you find yourself holding your breath while watching FOX or any nightly news, or hear someone telling you the latest horrible news over your first cup of coffee, take a deep breath and ask yourself - is what you are hearing REAL or is it entertainment, is it something that you can do anything about or change in any way? If not, let it go. Just let it go. Then go and do something positive for someone or something else. Give your dog a pat, or a treat. Call your mom and listen patiently while she tells you it is the end of the world and then comfort her. Bake some cookies to take to work and just hand out for the heck of it. Do something creative...doodle, sing, cook. Extend yourself out into the world instead of retreating from the scary stuff. This doesn't require any bravery, just calmness when everyone else is panicking. 

Pretty soon you'll find out that all the scary stuff really is quite manageable. That being focused and calm gives you an incredible amount of strength and resilience to cope with all the gritty things in life.

Mr. Franklin's Journey

Mr. Franklin is driving me crazy.

No,not Ben Franklin....Mr. Franklin, the goat, our goat. One of our seven Pygoras.

Mr. Franklin has been having "issues" since January.

On New Year's Day, I went out to feed the gang and Frank was limping slightly on his right rear leg. OK..I'll watch it for a couple of days and see how he does.

Next day, no problem.

The day after...BIG problem. Frank could hardly walk.. Indeed he wobbles and yet his appetite is good. He can stand and lie down, but his hind end is "disconnected". He stands hunched up with his head pressed against the shed wall. He is miserable as am I.

Then begins the mysterious journey that all goat owners take at one time or other. It starts with eliminating all the possible causes...disease, no(although Ed suspects Lyme disease), poisoning, probably not, moldy hay or food reaction, not likely or he would be dead, injury, probably. Feel for broken bones, look for injured foot, no no. Then a dive into the goat owner's bag of tricks...probiotics,nutrition supplement, aspirin, electrolytes, benamine and watchful, watchful waiting. A kiss on the nose for Mr. Franklin at night, presuming he would not be with us the next morning...a kiss on the nose for Mr. Franklin in morning to celebrate his survival.

He has stopped coming to breakfast with the other goats and shuns all grain...but will eat a pretzel and apple and orange peels and hay.

Thus it continues..one day good, one day bad and Mr. Franklin looks so unhappy and he is losing weight because the other goats intimidate him and he is in pain, obviously and does not want to do anything but stick close to the hay bin.

April..shearing time and vet visit. Goody, the Vet will answer this mystery. Blood samples taken and the Vet pokes and peeks and says hmmmmmm. Blood tests come back...Frank is healthy. Hmmmmmm. And still he limps along. I am thinking dislocated hip at some point, from a fall or from being snagged by another's horns. Or maybe back injury.

Twice I have picked up the phone to call the Vet to euthanize Frank...only to see him rise up and take a brief stroll.

And then two days ago, Mr. Franklin trotted up to his breakfast bowl and waited expectantly for me to hand out some grain and sunflower seeds, just as if nothing ever happened. He was bright eyed and happy...a little unsteady on the fast turns, but he actually even joined the herd for a meadow snack excursion and cantered home with them! He is healed??!!!

Not! Yesterday he was immobilized again and had to spend the day "in bed". His buddy, Tillie spent the day with him and she nuzzled him now and then.

Today, he is up and walking, but limping and moving slowly. He was interested in breakfast, but had to have it brought to him and he is spending more time lying down than up and moving.

Did I mention that Mr. Franklin was driving me crazy?

Coyote Radio

We have a very important piece of hi-tech equipment outside, on our front porch. It is one weapon in our arsenal of equipment (along with a night vision scope and 1 million power spot light) used to spy on and alert us to attack. It is the all powerful, baby monitor!

Because we are raising tasty snacks like goats, chickens and Guinea hens, we are constantly watchful for foxes, owls, hawks, stray dogs, weasels, fisher cats, bears!, racoons, 'possums and last but NOT least, Mr. Coyote.

For those who have not heard the "call" of the Eastern Coyote, I can only describe it as blood curdling. It isn't at all like that of the Western Coyote..more like a combination of screaming cat being eaten by a laughing hyena. They are bigger too..like a small German Shepherd. And they are very vocal..screeching loudly at 2:00 in the morning..."here we come to eat something, ha ha ha...catch us if you can."

Usually a quick dash onto the porch with the spotlight aimed at them is enough to scatter them off for a few hours...they are too smart to double back and will just wait until another time. But then back to bed I go and lie awake, waiting to hear the monitor broadcast another screech or scream.

All of this has led me to the murky world of late night AM radio. To calm my nerves and get back to sleep I eavesdrop in on the likes of Coast to Coast AM or Michael Savage (although he is as bad as the coyotes for my nerves), WBZ out of Boston, or WLS Chicago. Last night, coincidentally, I learned that a coyote!!! was rescued from the icy waters of Lake Michigan. Coincidence or conspirancy?

On late night radio I learn about alien invasion and abductions, all sorts of information on ghostly occurances, out of body experiences, mind travel, government AND anti-government plots, everything I ever wanted to know trivia wise, how to survive a nuclear attack (I already learned how to do this in 2nd grade..does that date me?), and of course minute by minute updates on the end of the world 12/21/12! I get the latest news?? on politics, religion, right wing, left wing doings and find out where I can buy prepackaged survival food and gear. whew. And, if that does not interest me,there are enough religious broadcasts that if , so inclined, I could get saved, damned, or doomed.

What I like is the idea that there are sooooo many people awake, listening and participating in this whole midnight culture. I feel like I am eavesdropping on some other world inhabited by a lot of people that look and act perfectly normal by day but let it all go after dark. I'm glad they are there to calm my jangled nerves after my encounter with the real predators in life.

I think I'll tune into my Coyote Radio again tonight.

Bullies

I've been thinking about bullies a lot lately...maybe because it is in the news so much.

The interesting thing is that you are never really free of bullies. No matter how old (or young) you are there is always some insecure, narcissistic individual lurking out there who needs to feed his or her own failures by degrading someone else. They are destructive time wasters..a co-worker, boss even siblings.

There are even bullies in the animal world. I watch the goats and chickens settle their disputes and there is always one individual that lives to push the less aggressive around - or even kill them in extreme cases. Of course, as their caretakers, we intervene to make sure the bullied animal gets protection, or even get rid of the bully altogether.

When I was 7 years old, I was bullied ruthlessly by an older kid. Got to the point where I refused to go to school. My mother turned into a tiger and went on a serious mission on my behalf. The bullying stopped and my relationship with and admiration for my mom went to a new level. But the process taught me a lot. I was never bullied again and I never will be.

Sometimes it does no good to stand up to a bully...especially if they have alliances or are bigger or can actually do you physical harm, but there are lots of ways to creatively deflate them. And, of course, sooner or later they will run into a bully themselves.

Bullies are always more scared than you are. But they are scared of different stuff, like authority figures, rejection, failure and loss of control. They really do need to be in control of people, situations and emotions. They walk a fragile line of fear...like a trapped animal. More to be pitied than feared.

The old adage of standing up to a bully does work...just be sure he isn't holding a weapon when you make your stand. But for kids, getting an authority figure involved, school, police officer, parent, really does work.

Bullies prey on the lone animal..the kid or individual that doesn't have a support group or supportive siblings. Children should be encouraged to join church groups, scouts, 4H, or other social network groups that make them feel less vulnerable to bullying. Kids aren't often quick to tell their parents..but they may tell their friends.

If you have a child or friend that is being bullied you really do need to rally to their defense and be determined about it. Don't trust others to do the job...see it through yourself. Don't be afraid to wade into the situation and get help from any authority figure you need, teacher, police, parent, whatever to conquer the bully. Don't yield and don't back down until the job is done and the bully has moved on and your child, friend, parent is safe and happy and their self-esteem is back on track.

In my life I have had to cope with several bullies and find that now I look forward to the challenge of deflating them. Learn to be a Bully Buster!

How to Trap a Monkey

I am a collector of useful, yet useless knowledge. It has been a great benefit to me and made for great party chit chat. It also drives my husband nuts. And yet, some of it is downright helpful. For instance, knowing how to trap a monkey.

Monkeys are smart, inquisitive and totally self-serving...or just plain greedy..whatever. Sound like someone you might know? Coincidence. We all have those people in our lives.

Back to the trap...so you get some food treat that the monkey is crazy for. Then you get a log, or board and place a hole in it that is big enough for the monkey to put his paw through, but smaller than the food item. Place the food behind the board, beyond the hole so that Mr. Monkey can see it. Monkey reaches through the hole, grasps the food in his fist and tries to pull it through the hole..but alas the hand and food are now too large to fit through the hole.

The monkey, because he IS a monkey, but also incredibly greedy will scream and yell and throw a fit, tug at the board....but not let go. Greed. He is unable to do the one thing that will set him free, drop the food. Trapped.

You, of course, see where I am going with this. Greed'll get ya in the end. Always has, always will. Whenever I have to cope with a greedy individual, or animal (I apologize to the animals) I think of the monkey trap and let them trip over their own greed. The goats are totally greedy...but for them it is reality based in the need to survive. As a prey animal the best fed, healthiest is the one that will survive. So there is no altruism in the goat world. Chickens I have found to be a bit more considerate. Roosters put a great deal of effort into watching over the hens and hens over the chicks.

So what do you do if you have a greedy person in your life? Not much, except avoid them like the plague. Greed is a choice, not a disease and to my mind, anyone who has chosen to be greedy will also be jealous, devious and mean. It takes a lot of everything and everyone to feed greed. You can't talk someone out of being greedy; you can't shame them; you can't reason with them. They create havoc and sadness wherever they go. Pretty awful.

Charles Dickens tried like the dickens (sorry, I couldn't resist) to bring greed to light in "The Christmas Carol" and Scrooge was cured...gosh I wish it were so in real life. Take heart. If you are bedeviled by someone who's greed overruns common sense or decency, be assured that out there in the world , waiting somewhere for them is a monkey trap. You can be sure it will get them.