(I wrote this in my handwritten
journal on July 23, 2011)
"Nature is the living, visible garment
of God."
It
amazes me how seamlessly new routines can weave themselves into the fabric of
my everyday life. Every morning I head out to the coop, greeted by the
rooster’s crows, and the chirps and clucks of the hens to let them outside and
give them fresh food and water. While I do these simple chores, I add my
voice to their chatter, reminding them once again what a bunch of spoiled brats
they are. My good-natured admonishments never seem to phase them or motivate
them to improve their behavior.
After
receiving the rock star treatment from the cat and dogs when I return home from
work, the next order of business is to check on the chickens. They always
rush to the fence when they see me coming and I’ve convinced myself it’s
because they're happy to see me again too.
Around
9:30 p.m. or so, I make my last trip of the day to the coop to turn on the
15-watt red lamp that signals the encroaching darkness and that it’s time to
get ready for bed, although for the past few weeks, most of the chickens have
already been inside, settling themselves in for the night before I even get
there. I check their food and water fonts and perform the routine head count
– two or three times for my peace of mind- and once I’m satisfied that all 26 are
safely tucked away inside, I hang out a few minutes longer, just enjoying their
company. When it’s time, I prolong my leaving with a stream of
“good-nights” and “I love you’s” before stepping outside and securing the door
behind me.
From
the moment these chickens came into my life when they were just one day old,
I’ve known with absolute certainty that they were meant be here. It was
the most natural thing in the world for me to be raising these animals. I
received an inner confirmation to something I’d known all along—that this is
what I should have been doing my entire life.
A
few people have expressed surprise at the way I’ve chosen to live my life and
when I added chickens to the mix, I really threw them for a loop. But for
me, it’s just another mysterious piece of life’s puzzle clicking into
place. I was that girl raised in the city who always envisioned a rural
life for herself. I was the kid who constantly sought out the natural,
green oasis within my urban existence, no matter how small. The dream I’m
living now was a seed planted long ago in my childhood and I took it with me
when I left home after joining the Air Force. It survived the death of my
father when I was 18, a move across the country to Idaho and back, failed
relationships, the loss of beloved pets and dear friends, and the joy and
surprise of finally meeting and marrying the love of my life. It was a
dream that persevered even though I found myself having to pack up and
re-establish myself in a new house or apartment every year or two when all I
ever really wanted was a small piece of property to call my own where I could
finally put down solid and permanent roots.
Now
here I am—a 43 year old woman who owns three acres of property and a cottage
sized house that is surrounded by miles of woods and awesome hiking
trails. I have my gardens, 26 egg laying chickens, a wonderful man to
share my life, and four very spoiled dogs and a cat who have all helped me
fulfill the dream and complete the puzzle. I am content and at peace for
the first time in a very long time.
Maybe
next year at this time, I’ll be a raising a couple of dairy goats…
