All my grandkids have birthdays in the summer, so they don’t get to celebrate at school, so I bake cookies for them to take for the last week of school. This is just a fun “art project” for me, so be kind! 😀
Attached is a picture from the early 1970s. My Mom was my troop leader (far right), and I was a Brownie (to her left). I was one of the top cookie sellers in my city. I led my daughter’s Girl Scout troop from first grade until she graduated high school and now I serve on the board of directors for my state’s council. It’s an amazing organization that offers so much to the girls in our communities.
I live in a rural area and several of my neighbors also have chickens. I have five sapphire gems and 9 ISA browns. As I was coming home from the store, I saw one of the browns about 40 yards from the coop (they free range and sometimes get a little adventurous). I stopped the car, got out and picked up the hen and took her back to the coop. A few things seemed off with her. First, she was pretty hefty; second, she let me pick her up easily (mine aren’t super tame); and third, she rode in the car like a champ. At bedtime, I got everything closed up and all the girls into the coop and did my nightly headcount. Instead of 14 hens, I had 15! I double and triple checked and for sure, I have an extra hen. I suspect the girl by the bridge that I snagged belongs to one of my neighbors. Now that she’s mixed in with my ISA browns, I can’t tell which one she is and I have no idea which of my neighbors may be missing her. Maybe tomorrow morning when I turn them out, she’ll head back up the road to her real home.
In January 2020 when I retired, my plans included travel. Lots and lots of travel, so I wouldn’t be home much. I had horses, and finding individuals to care for them when I was away was a constant struggle. Lots of interested parties, but few with actual knowledge or skill to make me comfortable. So I rehomed my animals and started planning trips. Then, March 2020 happened and I wasn’t going anywhere. I missed my horses deeply, but not the work or expense, so I bought chickens. My husband built my coop, I created some fun signs/artwork, and after a trip to my local feed store, I was officially a chicken lady. Six years in, and I really enjoy it! They don’t consume my entire life and I have multiple neighbors who have their own chickens and we chore for each other when we need to get away. Chickens are quirky, funny, messy as hell and lay the best eggs you’ll ever eat. Things always seem to work out as they should.