Monday, November 26, 2012

Finding Balance

Simplicity in the midst of complexity.

It has been a long while since I’ve written, but I promise to try to get back on track with a posting once a week. I returned to full-time work in September, and in some ways found it hard to write about the hens. I missed them, and it was difficult for me to think too intently about M&L, the gardens, and the hens at home. Not writing about them was perhaps a form of self-preservation. Or avoidance.

But as time has passed, I realize that though I miss M and L, giving them a little more space for self-reliance and independence is a good thing. I missed being there to pick them up from school, but I really enjoyed heading off to work as well. Was it OK to be happy to have that time away, doing my own thing?

I’m not sure the chickens notice my absence. They still come running when I step outside, which warms my heart, but as usual, they go about their business and ignore me once I scatter scratch or give them treats.

Over the last few months, the pecking order in the flock shifted and changed. Pearl suddenly seems to be the low hen on the totem pole, with Clover hopping on her back and pecking the top of her head from time to time. K says that Clover has had her fill of Pearl’s “Queen of the Fair talk.” She earned a blue ribbon, but it appears that doesn’t carry much weight with the ladies. Clover especially seems intent on being the boss hen.

Luna, the fragile blue orpington pullet we got in July, was still not walking well, and when I found her light body in the coop one morning before work, I wasn’t surprised. Saddened, but in a way relieved. I’d known it was coming and didn’t really want M&L to discover her.

And so we have a flock of seven, of whom only three seem to be laying regularly. Pip, the Ameraucana, started laying her lovely blue-green eggs after I started back to work, and has been very business-like about it. We have a nice steady supply of her pretty eggs. Thelma and Louise, the Australorps, are laying fairly regularly, so we typically get about two eggs daily.

The other hens – Violet, Pearl, Clover, and Oreo – seem to be on sabbatical. They still work industriously in the garden, picking the last bits of green from the beds, taking care of any bugs or worms, and fertilizing the beds, but it’s been months since any of them produced an egg. K says it’s like they are all on chicken social security. I know that in a more serious flock, they’d have been culled for stewing, but I can’t bring myself to do so. They are more than a food source for us.

They are touchstones, and their personalities and quirks fit together. I sometimes get home early enough to visit them in the evening. And on weekends I sit down for a bit and just watch them, and it is a meditative act for me. They go about their usual business. And that calm and continued routine brings me balance. I do love my job, but I can still come home and spend time with M&L, connect with the hens, and putter around the coop.  Chickens are good for grounding, for centering, and they lend richness to life with their simplicity.
            

11 comments:

  1. Hi Debbie, new fan here and I couldn't agree more that chickens have the ability to ground and center us!

    I love it if you would join me at the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week! http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-10.html

    I hope you can make it!
    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick

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  2. I can totally relate and definitely agree. I am a crazy chicken lady :) Mine are so much more than a food source. They actually sparked our interest in becoming more self-sufficient which led us to move out into the woods with lots of land and we've never been happier.

    Found you via The Clever Chicks Blog Hop :)

    Tammy
    http://ourneckofthewoods.net

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    1. Tammy -- I love my little urban coop, but I am so envious of your little place in the woods. What a lovely tree with a Kitty for an ornament :-). I linked to you -- thanks for posting!
      Debbie

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  3. I love this! New follower here. Please come share at my weekly Farm Girl Blog Fest. http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-10.html

    I would love to see you there!
    Lisa
    Fresh Eggs Daily

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    1. Lisa -- Thanks for the invite. Love your blog! I added mine and have linked to yours.

      I've done some work for Urban Farm and Hobby Farm Home and I love both magazines -- nice to see them on your site! :-) Between your blog site, Kathy's and Tammy's I am planning to enjoy my morning coffee reading and clicking -- great stuff!

      Debbie

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  4. Hi Debbie, I’m Anne from Life on the Funny Farm (http://annesfunnyfarm.blogspot.com), and I’m visiting from Farmgirl Friday.

    This was a timely post, as I'll be starting back to work soon. First time in 15 years, so I'm worried about how I'll handle the time management part. Worried that I won't make time to enjoy my hens. Like you said, they're so grounding, and we all need that in our lives, don't we?

    Anyway, thanks for posting this. If you’ve never visited yet, I hope you can pop by my blog sometime to say hi…

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    1. Anne -- I love your blog. Thank you for sharing it with me. I'll post a link to it on my page.

      I know it sounds silly, but when I accepted the position I'm in now, I was worried about how much I'd miss my hens. I do miss them, but they are so nice to come home to.I don't have as much time during the week (especially since it's dark so early) but I find that I really enjoy my weekend time with them, and even just a short visit in the evening is a nice patch of peace :-)

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  5. I'm a new follower. I hope you keep writing. I'm new to chickens; I have 5 laying hens 28 weeks old. (Just starting to lay) It's all very exciting!

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    1. Shirley -- Thank you for the kind words! I love my hens -- and I really was not expecting to be so attached to (and entertained by) them! Hope you enjoy your ladies also. :-)
      Debbie

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  6. Lovely post Debbie as usual. Hope you are all well.

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    1. Thank you Claudia -- we're doing fine. It's always so nice to see your icon appear and your name pop into my email box. It always makes my day :-) Hope you are enjoying the holidays!

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