Saturday, December 3, 2016

The Frost is on The....



It is a beautiful morning. God has provided. The sun has just come up. It is the beginning of a new day - it is the first day of the rest of our lives. If you need to change your life, today is the day. You won’t get a better day. No excuses will be accepted. The temperature is 27 degrees F. The fog is sitting on the river and the park to our south. We are up above the fog. There are no clouds - just a clear, beautiful sky. God does provide. We just need to accept, believe, or just open our eyes.

I just finished giving the poultry feed and water. They are healthy and alive with energy. They are friendly, even more so this morning. Or am I just seeing, observing, more so? Oscar, the hop along rooster, came hopping up to me for me to pick up and talk with. We enjoy our morning conversations! He seems to not realize he is handicapped. He accepts his lot in life and makes the most of it. And just goes on with his life the best he can. No complaining. He just seems to always be happy (if that is possible for a rooster).

Spike came up. I reached over to give that turkey his morning rub. He is a chocolate tom. His back was white. He roosts on the back deck railing. Outside. And the frost had settled onto his back. His back was frost covered. He is just over a year old. Other than me, he is top turkey around here. Maybe he thought I had some more potato wedges for him.

We went out the other day. I picked up some potato wedges for the poultry. They expect a treat when we get back home. I sit in the car seat, facing out, and fed them little pieces of potato wedges. Spike came up to make sure he got his share. They eat from our fingers. The two momma hens brought the swarm up for treats. Even they are being trained to come up for goodies. And the barn cats thought they deserved some, too. Everyone has their place and, for the most part, observes their position and lot in life, and get along.

On spike and his white back, when God designed birds, He sure did a good job. When frost settles on a bird with a 101 degree F. temperature and it doesn’t melt, that is good insulation. Back in the spring, we had a freezing rain. The turkeys were covered in icicles. They tinkled when they walked. Lilac was so bad, we had to take her inside to melt the icicles. Everyone was fine. Even freezing rain wasn’t as much of a problem as it had first appeared.

I am getting old and senile. I need retraining. I forgot to check the nightly low. At 27 degrees F., it is going to be below freezing for a while. That means the waterers will freeze up. Duh! Guess what, the waterers are froze up. I should have brought them in so they didn’t freeze. I didn’t. But, it isn’t that big of a deal this morning. I sit them in the sun. The sun is strong this morning, In a half hour, they will be ready to use. I could have used running water, but no need. The sun will do the job.

Sometimes, I think I am a flower, a blooming idiot! It was going down to 22 last week. So, I emptied the waterers and washed them and laid them over on the ground to drain and dry. The next morning (at 22 degrees F.), they were frozen to the ground. I had to peel them off the ground. And, of course, they had a big bunch of grass and dirt frozen solid to the side of the waterers! Not good. I had to work in water at 22 degrees F. to clean the waterers, fill them and put them where they were suppose to be. An hour later, it was above freezing and everything was back to normal. But, if I had filled them and sit them inside, I would have not had all that trouble. What is that about those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it? I think I did the same thing last year. Being senile can be a joy. When you continually make a mistake, it is like the first time. Every time is the first time. History does repeat itself!

Don’t take life so seriously! You are just like me. We just aren’t that important in the overall scheme of things. We can only live our own lives. Make the most of it! Enjoy it. Life goes on. Oscar is a good example. And, “Take time to smell the roses”! Otherwise, all you will smell is flatulence.

Our prayer for today: That God will help you enjoy the little things in life that He provides, as well as the bigger things. He really is everywhere!

Ralph and Fiona

PS: It just got to 40 degrees F., I am going out to finish my chores. The temperature rose fast this morning. It is suppose to go to 58 today and down to 44 tonight (rain coming in). The waterers won't freeze up tonight!

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