Portrait of Mr. B

Here's Mr. B in the field this evening. I snapped it quickly as I scanned the field for Becky on Libby. I was shocked at how much I liked it. So you have to look at it.

Broody Hen

I had a surprise out at the overgrown fence line this evening. As I made my way toward the secret spot in the scary weeds where the ladies have all been laying their eggs, I saw this mean old hen, very well hidden. "Friend" is her name. We call her an Amish hen because we bought her as a pullet years ago from the Amish family down the road. The family who would entitle my brother's blog, "Big and Strong Suburbanite Dad." Friend and the other Auracana bantam mixes have gone broody consistently through the years, and it looks like more chicks will arrive on Providence Farm in September.

Reading is Fundamental

Katie didn't used to like reading, but this year has been the turning point for her. Our latest read-aloud was Nancy Drew, The Secret of Shadow Ranch. It was so much fun to feel her little kid head, smelling that summer smell of sweat, resting on my shoulder as I read, having her beg for one more chapter, since as you probably know, Nancy always ends a chapter in a cliff-hanger. The western ranch theme of the book inspired tonight's dinner: cowboy casserole. Beef, beans, onions, peppers, and salsa covered with cornbread. What a joy it is to be able to share books from my childhood with my daughters!

High Bridge Hiking

Since I can't cross a mile long, very high bridge, I left it up to Dan to take the girls on a three mile hike in Farmville. Here are photos by Laura. They've been asking to take their bikes next time. That will probably have to be when Dan is in town again, because these pictures aren't tempting me to try the hike with them.

Neighborhood House Fire

Bruno, my favorite Pit Bull, is living with us after having been displaced by a house fire. Tuesday night our neighbor was home alone when her house caught on fire and burnt to the ground. Laura happened to be feeding the dogs, heard her screams for help, and called 911. Every engine from three communities responded. I had been deciding whether to post about it, and decided to do it for a few reasons. Maybe you'll be more fire safety-conscious after seeing this, you may check on your insurance information to be sure you're covered properly, and hopefully you'll appreciate the every day blessings of life without a big fire to interrupt it. We had been playing happily with Devin on Monday, not a care in the world, admiring his new Nikes. Now, we're all in shock at what Tuesday night's fire has done to our tranquil lives. All the humans were fine. One beloved dog was killed. Every material possession was lost. Insurance will replace the house. People have already clothed the family. It was unspeakably terrifying.

Back to School

Monday was an exciting day as UPS pulled up to the door. 14 boxes of school have arrived! Becky's a Junior, Laura's a Freshman, and Baby Katie's going into 6th grade. So far the subjects are better than ever. Soccer starts this week. Life is back in full swing.

To Trap or Not To Trap

I have mice in my kitchen. I know I must kill them so they don't make more mice, and more mice, and more mice, until we're overrun by them. But I cannot. I've bought traps. Heck, I've even opened the package of traps and read directions for securing the lethal rodent guillotine. But then I think of this happy little fellow, going about his business, which apparently consists simply of pooping in my oven and having a large family, and I think how sad it would be if his multitude of children lost their provider. Then I put the traps away. Laura took this guy way out into the woods after we used him to entertain us by scaring the cat. (No mice were harmed in the cat torturing session.) Maybe Danny will set traps and empty them when he gets home.