Last summer, when that girl from New York was here, we got some chicks. The folks at the feed store said that they were Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, a new breed not yet registered. I’m not sure why, maybe they have to wait for the markings to be consistent…or something.

When you buy chicks, you either get ‘straight run’, which means that there’s a mix of roosters and pullets.

Or, you just get pullets. And that’s what I usually do.
The chicks grew into beautiful adults,

and sure as shootin’,

their markings were not consistent,

especially as far

their combs are concerned.
There was this one big chicken that resembled a rooster,

but I dismissed that idea because it never crowed…and roosters do that a lot, once they get the hang of it. As far as I was concerned, she was just one big mama.
Anyway, the night the boys stayed with us (when we played pirates) I slept in one of the guest rooms to be near them. The next morning just as dawn was about to crack, I heard this…well, you would call it a noise, but it was actually a rooster crowing. The sound was not high pitched and smooth like normal. Instead it was deep and rough.
As I laid there I thought, “I’ll be John Brown if ‘Big Mama’ isn’t ‘Big Daddy’ after all. And…

Daddy sings bass.”

Piper loves to play frisbee, but when we play, we play in the goat yard. “Why?” you ask. Because when curiosity knocks… he answers…and he’s gone.

So we have to play in a fenced in area.
The other day, Piper approached Rose and Jasmine about playing,

and at first, neither one seemed the least bit interested.

Then Jasmine reconsidered. Though frisbee was out of the question, they did appear to enjoy one another,

and Piper seemed quite entertained by Jasmine’s shenanigans. You know what I think? I think they’ll turn out to be

the best of friends.

We are getting new flooring…and that sounds simple…but you know, as well as you know your name, that it’s not. You don’t just GET new flooring. You move furniture, and take out the old carpet. If need be,

you have new subfloors put down.

Getting new flooring usually involves a visit

from the Ghost of Flooring Past. (1976 to be exact)

Trying to put together a meal in a kitchen with dismantled cabinets that rock a coat of wet paint isn’t easy. But, you do what you must do, and then let the jagged end drag.
Amidst our chaos came spring break, and with spring break came Lyndsey,

that girl from New York who stayed with us last summer. Her visit had really been planned since August, only none of us were sure it would get to take place. But it did. And to put it into true Southern vernacular, “We are tickled to day-uth!” And…

so is Piper.
This morning, that girl from New York helped me move a piano through FOUR rooms…which proves that good help CAN be found…

even if you have to send for it from New York.

Many thanks for your kind words of condolence. I can still hear the sound

of Matilda’s slow and steady steps. She was calm, laid back, and never really got in a rush.

Piper…..not so much. But, he is every bit as sweet and eager to please.
Having Piper is like having one of those change of life babies. Everything is going your way, and you’ve settled into a routine. Then, because of a somewhat spontaneous decision,

you’re up at night and potty training. (Sometimes walking in the snow…uphill…both ways.)
You’re dealing with teething.

Thank goodness this is not my most recent pair…but a favorite.
In general,

you’re running yourself ragged. But you wouldn’t trade that baby for anything. Besides, it keeps you young. Or at least that’s what they say.
Last weekend, after what took place, Joel asked if I wanted another puppy just like Piper to keep Piper company. I looked at him and said, “Lord no!”.

If you’ve followed the blog over the years

you are familiar with our Lab/Golden cross,

Matilda…everything you would want in a dog,

all wrapped up

in yellow fur.

Almost 13 years ago, when we brought her home,

I sat in the back seat of the truck and held her tight.

Saturday morning, when she ‘went home’, I crawled in back of the Subaru, and did the same.
I think Hudson and Denton described her best when they said, “She was our friend.”

In memory of Matilda, May 2001-March 2014

Forest Gump’s mama would compare Louisiana weather to a box of chocolates, because you’re never really sure what you’re going to get…especially this year.
The snow, the sleet, and the freezing rain suddenly gave way to springlike temperatures,

violets, and

fruit trees covered with blossoms.
Sunday evening when Joel, Piper and I made laps around the property, it was 80 degrees and humid, with a scattering of mosquitos.
Then, what began its trip from God’s fingertips as moisture, wound up in Woodworth Monday morning as snowflakes, and on Tuesday morning as sleet.

There wasn’t a lot…not at all like the last time,

but it was cold enough for a layer of ice to form on the the goldfish tub. Do you see him on the left bottom third of the tub? Poor ol’ thang.
It’s raining now, and not that cold, but the moisture tricks us into believing that it is.
I’m sure that JUST LIKE THAT, it will be spring again…

maybe tomorrow.