Saturday, March 19, 2022

A failing hard drive forces me to take action and get a new computer. My current laptop links up to wi-fi but without a solid signal that accesses programs rapidly. This morning, it took nearly an hour to connect to my usual daily platforms. The biggest problem, accessing Word Press, gobbles time and patience.

It wouldn’t be as awful if I could communicate to readers, “No blog today because of computer issues,” but only Word Press knows readers and addresses. That’s fine until it isn’t, like today, when accessing the platform to write seemed unlikely.

These daily blogs began years ago; I forget how many. I was living on a rocky property and worrying about tripping and becoming injured. The blog was a way of saying to close friends, “Good morning, and I don’t need assistance with the animals.” After a while, “Good morning, etc.” seemed too little. As I practiced writing more creatively, the blog simply grew.

Writing has become a way of working through jumbled morning thoughts. I awaken from sleep remembering dream fragments. I read newspapers and make plans to accommodate a day’s activities. Blog writing provides a channel of focus, helping me organize and prioritize whatever’s in my head.

This morning, I’m explaining my intent to continue writing daily, and giving a heads-up about current difficulties of accessing wi-fi. Hopefully, I’ll continually get on line to communicate, while also working to identify an appropriate laptop.

Dear Friends: Thank you for “being there” and reading, more than I can say. Diana

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Wouldn’t ya know? I got called in to work yesterday, my day off, and came home too tired to drive east and chase the full Worm Moon’s first rising above a dim horizon. From near my house, I made several captures soon after it had arisen. In a cloudy sky, the moon moved upward.

I enjoy a series like this. The full moon moving upward into clouds has disappearances and emergences that stimulate tension and drama. Watching it encourages one to create stories around the rising moon.

I liked that series and wanted another photo of this moon, but at its fullest. The opportunity came at around 2:30 a.m. I felt a bright moonglow while outside with my “cone-head,” Lil’ Mitzvah, who needed a brief walk.

Here’s that early morning, Full Worm Moon.

Dear Friends: Our “little planet” always is a lovely and fascinating sight. Diana

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The Full Worm Moon will rise tomorrow evening. That’ll happen while I’m still at work. So, this evening I’ll take my camera to capture a rising, almost-full moon. That’ll be close enough to the experience of watching a most-entire moon appear above the dim horizon.

The Worm Moon signals changes in the weather that introduce spring. Basically, worms are coming out as the soil warms and providing food for wildlife. The Worm Moon refers to early spring and new beginnings, nudging humans to be optimistic.

Could warming earth and shifting toward spring help soften a warrior’s cold heart? Hey, Mr. Putin, do you copy?

Interesting that many Russian citizens are awakening to the modern world, thanks to such as social media. Ordinary people are realizing that the whole of Earth is a highly interdependent community. Populations are learning and people starting to speak up, wanting “says” about their futures.

Whatever happens in Putin’s War, nations ought never again to fight. Technology and communications make the stakes too high. But crazy men are crazy men, and Putin’s one. So’s that guy in North Korea. On the other hand, Xi might be more calculating than crazy.

That’s my Worm Mood this day. I’m hanging somewhere on a curve between optimism and pessimism. Actually, my position leans toward optimism, and during tonight’s moonrise, I’ll dance with a camera and cheer the awakening worms.

Dear Friends: Lil’ Mitzvah, spayed, microchipped, inoculated, wears “the cone.” Diana

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

I’m in love with the Worm Moon, beautiful already although not quite full.

I’m also in love with news that the U.S. Senate has made permanent throughout the nation Daylight Savings Time. WooHoo!

No more turnings of our clocks. Ahead in winter, there will be daylight in the early evenings.

All good starts for this morning.

Early today, little Mitzvah will go in for spaying and for final vaccinations. Russ, our farrier, is in town and coming here to do his magic. In this mix, and (about time!), Richard is re-doing the in-house flooring and fixing “other stuff”.

These mornings, I’m having a Dickens of a time getting onto wi-fi. This laptop is a couple of years old and lately has been slowing. These days, its reluctance is becoming more obvious. I suppose it’s time to find a new laptop.

I intend for a more powerful machine in the next round. That means a heavy duty processor capable of handling all the Photoshop software offers. The creative editing options need a top line processor to run fully the program. I learned this early with my current laptop. Even when brand new, it couldn’t pull up much of “Photoshop”, except the most basic elements.

I must pack up and go now, to get Mitzvah early to the Veterinary.

Dear Friends: Ahead, a warmish day, hope you can make it a great one. Diana

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

To my disappointment and great anger, both my roosters have begun attacking me. Even the dominant bird who’s been very gentle. So, both are nine months old and becoming mature. Neither still are nice.

I’ve wrestled about how to catch and move the less-dominate annoying rooster. Suddenly now, I must figure out how to deal with both.

Honestly, last night when King Roo went after me, I felt like grabbing a 2×4 and finishing him off. Here’s hoping I am a better person than that.

I have some names of people wanting roosters. First, though, is how to capture the guys and keep them safe somewhere.

Really, their breeds are gentle and good flock birds. I believed these two would stay nice, especially the dominant guy. Both birds are beautiful, just doing their jobs, but I’m no enemy; the flock needs me. These guys are becoming my enemies. If they go missing, the hens would be fine, and better, in fact, for there would be none dis-feathered and pitiful looking.

Dear Friends: One confronts one problem, and boom! faces another. Diana

Monday, March 14, 2022

A customer walked into the store….

He wanted to buy a few baby chicks to add to his mature flock. Also, he wondered if I might know where he could obtain a rooster.

Oh, yeah, happens I do know!

The fellow and I soon again will be in touch. When he’s ready to handle a rehoming, I’ll crate up my drop-dead-gorgeous Cuckoo Maran. My out-of-the-box plan is to gather the bird while he roosts and is half-asleep. I’ll examine the world of internet to learn how others do it.

I’ll also ask our chicken-experienced customers. Those who’ve “done it all” usually share and advise willingly.

Besides worrying that I have two roosters sharing too few hens, I’ve been eyeing one of my new baby chicks. It’s bigger than its brooder mates, and maybe its tail is growing upwards. “Oy vey,” I say.

The header picture shows Pansy, a most beautiful bantam. Pansy surprised me, first by crowing, and again when the little critter began relentlessly to attack me, without ever a thought and bent on protecting his hens. Fortunately, someone wanted Pansy, and off he went.

If and after my Mr. Cuckoo becomes transferred, I’ll listen for a possible new Crower. I’ll immediately start marketing the new guy if such a sound happens.

Customers sometimes arrive requesting help for re-homing their roosters and Toms. I’ve not thought much about that, and now it’ll change. I’ll collect pictures, if possible, and start putting out the word.

How cool to work where it’s possible to help facilitate unwanted bird exchanges.

Dear Friends: Beautiful roosters deserve their own flocks. Diana

Saturday, March 12, 2022

A customer walked into the store….

Said she has a rooster needing to be rehomed. Unfortunately, I have two roosters, one in the same boat as hers.

We talked more, and of course, about chickens. She described having a “broody hen,” a dedicated chick mom who raises adoptees. The customer took today’s header photo of that hen and a baby purchased from the feed store where I work. She had slipped that infant chick under the broody hen’s wing. The hen raised the baby.

I hear many stories about someone having slipped one or more live babies under a broody hen. An adopting hen eliminates needs to tub-brood. The same happens by slipping an egg or two under a broody hen. She will hatch and raise the chick(s).

Chickens are very cool. People “in the know” claim they’re smarter than the birds generally get credit for being. My experience agrees.

Maybe not, however, when it comes to roosters. They’re causes for wonder. Take my two, which have a great home, and always would, by getting along together and not treating me as an enemy. Roosters, so beautiful, but in my experience smart as “dingbats.”

Dear Friends: Don’t forget that clock-time has jumped forward an hour. Diana

Saturday, March 12, 2022

The setting moon’s brightness awakened me at two-something this morning. I went outside with the dogs and a camera. The sky was overcast and the moon fuzzy but appearing soft and lovely on its way to fullness next Friday.

On Friday, I must be working in the feed store exactly as that full moon first rises. So, on Thursday evening, I will go out and capture it rising as “almost max.” That’ll be plenty exciting.

When it’s about adorableness, Peaches is hard to top. Last night, he enjoyed a taquito dinner.

Years ago, a shrink told me that if I run away from conflicts, I will always run from them instead of learning to face them. Sometimes I face up, and did yesterday by lunching with a difficult supervisor. We needed to talk, were honest and friendly. We gained insight and respect, returning to work feeling optimistic about collaborating. Back at work, I increased my scope of doing what’s needed, stayed better in touch; and he spoke more kindly into my “radio ear.”

His feedback pointed out that my focus sometimes narrows and ignores mainstream activities. That because I don’t yet understand fully the working environment’s needs. I’ll correct that.

Yet again, Shakespeare said it best, in the year 1600, with “All’s well that ends well.”

Dear Friends: Early tomorrow, let’s remember to turn clocks forward an hour. Diana

Friday, March 11, 2022

On yesterday’s chilly morning, Peaches and I went out together for a short walk. We should have waited until the afternoon, which really warmed up. No matter, he was a happy camper in the chill.

I went briefly to the store that employs me to attend a mandatory team meeting. A lovely thing happened as the manager pulled and read aloud feedback notes from a suggestion box. There was a note from a customer complimenting the way I helped him and his children purchase chickens. I needed a kind note!

Today, I’ll have lunch with a supervisor who likes me not a whit better than I like him. We must discuss our differences, finding common ground to prevent our mutual dislike from intensifying. I don’t look forward to the event but will make an effort. Whichever way today’s discussion turns out, I’ll choose to continue working with him or to initiate one of several possible changes.

Some of my best conversations are with Peaches. Our experiences and viewpoints differ significantly but don’t come between us. Maybe that isn’t the best example, but it feels pretty good.

My two roosters, now nine months old, are beginning to fight with each other seriously. It’s not looking suitable for having both continue to live together. The subordinate rooster, a drop-dead gorgeous Cuckoo Maran, needs a new home. Does anybody out there want him?

Dear Friends: Now, I’ll get up and go on with this day. Diana

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Miles has been groomed and before long, will again be a matted mess. Whether it’s a stream or a puddle, he loves water. He jumps in, wallows, and his multi-layered coat captures residue.

Right now, he’s gorgeous.

He has a strong herding instinct and is very vocal, well actually very-creatively vocal, anytime I care for our horses without his assistance.

Yesterday, a customer in the store where I work part-time played for me a video of her Husky “talking” to her. Huskies are wonderful talkers, and hers made spectacular sounds.

A sudden snowstorm meant that lunching with a challenging supervisor was impossible. I needed during yesterday’s lunchtime to come home to let dogs outside and feed horses. We are targeting Friday for lunch.

We’re very different individuals. I’m an entrenched “people person”, he’s an entrenched “numbers guy” with an abrasive supervisorial style. To him, I spend too much time with customers, and to me often, too little time. I’m not optimistic for an hour of talking to gain better collaboration.

One tries and hopes for the best.

Dear Friends: Enjoy this sunny but very cold day. Diana