A Little Birdie Told Us
You’re an absolute star. Your talents—from spreading kindness, to making others laugh, to showing up for your friends—have value. I’m your biggest groupie.
— Chiki Minaj, who absolutely realizes her rockstar status
Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm
Our old rooster, Daddy Warclucks, woke up yesterday and decided to choose violence.
We’ve always had good luck with multiple roosters cohabitating peacefully. We have plenty of hens and abundant space, so bullies can be given a wide berth. But, we walked outside yesterday to find Daddy (above) looking like he’d gotten into a scrap. Then we saw our young rooster, who was pretty badly beaten up, and definitely in shock. We scooped the young rooster up, cleaned his cuts and moved him to a large dog crate, so he can recover safely. (Chickens are attracted to red, and will peck mercilessly at bloody flockmates, so isolation is crucial for a hurt bird.) He was eating and drinking this morning, so he seems to be on the mend.
We had planned to move our new rooster, plus a few of his lady friends, out into the mobile eggmobile we’re building. Since that’s still in construction (the wheels appear to be stuck on a boat somewhere in the Pacific), we’ll have to get creative. Our turkey houses are empty, so those may get new renters for a few weeks.
I can hardly wait to put peas, kale, broccoli, cabbage, collards, lettuce and onions into the ground—we’re getting so close to grow time. I’m so happy with how well the seedlings are coming along. Here’s hoping it’s a bountiful garden year.
A few days of 60-degree weather has the grass turning green, and all the animals (myself included) are so thrilled for this turn of events. The end of scratchy hay bits in my bra is in sight!
Here’s What I Loved This Week
There’s a lot! Twitter reminded me that it’s my one-year anniversary of getting my first covid vaccine. Boy, am I grateful for all three shots I’ve gotten.
Next: I’m about halfway done with my first big crochet project. I have to say, the repetitive motion of the stitches and the soft yarn against my hands has become a way to self-soothe as I process the horrible news coming from Ukraine. (Bonus: Both hands are occupied which keeps you from doomscrolling Twitter and anxiety snacking.)
I hope you, too, are finding ways to comfort yourself right now. (And if you want to learn to crochet, here’s the first YouTube video that got me started. If I can learn this, you definitely can too! )
Finally: I am grateful for Anne Helen Peterson writing so openly about her colonoscopy. I think not being able to talk about our bodies makes having a body more fraught than it ought to be. I learned so much (and laughed a little, too). Please consider booking an appointment for a colonoscopy, we need you here!