Graduation Day

This is almost the first moment the chickens went into their grown-up home. I have a lot of anxiety over this, and fear it is a death sentence for them, but it had to happen. If I am to have chickens, I obviously have to allow them to leave the nest, so to speak. I bought a latch for the door that I think would foil the smartest raccoon, though I have thought that before and been tragically wrong.

These are the friendliest chickens I have had. They have no fear of me, and in fact run over to me in greeting whenever I come toward them. They take food from my hand and almost crawl into my lap when I sit near them. I am hoping against hope that I will be able to protect them.........

I forgot if I have mentioned their names: Henny, Penny, Polka, Dot, Blackie and Bonny.

Garden

Despite the fact that this has been and unbearable cold Spring, the garden is in its glory. I love to look at it, and the fact that I created it makes the experience all the better.

I hung the peace flag out last week with some trepidation. The summer people who live next door had a flag like this last year and someone stole it. Stealing is rare in Eastport, but I'm sure some patriotic zealot thought it was offensive. Does a patriot also have to support everything the government does? And if so, where is the freedom and democracy we are supposed to cherish?

Benny and Patrick

A very unusual sight..............these boys NEVER share a bed.

The Garden

I haven't put anything new in the garden this year. The plants are maturing now and unless I take something out, there really isn't room. It is definitely the greatest improvement I have made since I moved here, It's beautiful..........

Twilight

I couldn't help but show off by posting this picture of me riding Twilight, one of the shelter horses. I'm pretty cool, huh?

Orchid Cactus

I can't believe I've had this plant since Jesse was a baby (now he's 36). It used to bloom regularly, and then it didn't for about 20 years. Now here it is in it's second childhood.

Growing Girls

The babies are getting big so fast that they seem to change every day. They have lost most of their down and feathers are sprouting. I still haven't given them names, but I do have a favorite, one of the black ones. It's because she seems to be responsive to my voice and looks up at me when I talk to them. Mostly they worry that I might pick them up. All of them are very healthy, and have been right from the beginning. Already I'm worrying about putting them out in the coop. They are so vulnerable, and their fate is in my hands.

Painting Outside

It's been a long time since I went outdoors to paint, but I have been thinking about it for quite awhile. Sometimes at odd moments, I think of the years I painted outside with Thelma and Betty Lou . I guess it's the season. I've written so many times of how much those times meant to me that I won't reiterate, but I am planning a book on the subject. I have compiled all of my Rockport paintings and put them in a special file on a book making site. I'm going to write about each painting, taking some of my old journal entries as text, as well as thoughts about them that I have now. I think it will be a good way to relive, re-examine, and organize my thoughts.

So today I packed up my stuff and went down to the bottom of the hill to paint what I saw looking back up the hill. I've done the same scene before with limited success. The one I did today is also far short of wonderful, but I am still pleased with it. I think it's pretty good for the first attempt in so long. Of course the whole experience is so different, so much less intense, than the past. I will never have that again. But I thought there might be some way of resurrecting some part of it. I'm not sure there is.