Duchess of Chickens

Duchess of Devonshire feeding her chickens. Photo by Bruce Weber

Welcome new chickens! 

Two Black sex-linked and four Plymouth Rock pullets. A pullet is a teenaged chicken, in between fluffy chicks and egg-laying hens.   If all goes well we might be eating the most expensive eggs ever.  

We are socializing them by bringing treats, teaching them about the dog aka their protector, and to come when called.

This picture, The Duchess of Devonshire, illustrates my delight with the whole process of Chicken-ing.  I am working on the outfit.  Thanks to Sally Kohler for bringing it to my attention. I am honored it made her think of me.  Here is a poem to go with it.

Woman Feeding Chickens-- by Roy Scheele 

Her hand is at the feedbag at her waist, 

sunk to the wrist in the rustling grain 

that nuzzles her fingertips when laced 

around a sifting handful. It's like rain, 

like cupping water in your hand, she thinks, 

the cracks between the fingers like a sieve, 

except that less escapes you through the chinks 

when handling grain. She likes to feel it give 

beneath her hand's slow plummet, and the smell, 

so rich a fragrance she has never quite 

got used to it, under the seeming spell 

of the charm of the commonplace. The white 

hens bunch and strut, heads cocked, with tilted eyes, 

till her hand sweeps out and the small grain flies. 

 "Woman Feeding Chickens" by Roy Scheele, from A Far Allegiance. © The Backwaters Press, 2010. Reprinted with permission. 

Gorgeous the piglet & photographers trunks

Living around photographers

Gorgeous the Pot belly piglet

According to Nancy shepherd owner of "Pig O my Heart" a farm in central Missouri, This wonderful little piglet is named Gorgeous and she is is a Potbelly. (Link to Pig o my Heart) Nancy wrote to say "I remember so well Gay coming  here to photograph a complete litter.  It was so much fun watching her work.  As I recall for this one she brought a piece of sod and we placed in on top of the picnic table so that we could get the beautiful background of sky and pasture"

Note to reader-- it is well worth a careful look in the trunk of a photographers car.  One can find bits of sod, dead possums (more on that later), food for low blood sugar or to appease animals for photos, model and property releases, cloth for backdrops, a towel, odd bits of equipment, a box to hold special found things, etc etc. In fact I am sure it would be interesting to see what photographers consider absolutely necessary equipment to do what they do.

Pigs make wonderful subjects for photos. They are game, willing, expressive, and cute.  They can even pose for photos and if you don't believe me see Jezebel posing for show.  She is just one of the amazing Showpig photos from Nancy's ranch.

Let us know if you have a caption for Gorgeous or any questions.

Sharon

Grandmothers revenge & a lovely grand-daughter

This is from one of Gay's photo files.
I have come to know my mother-- after her passing-- as a careful but ironic keeper of records. This photo was in a file called "Kids with guns".
My heart leapt at the possibilities.


This is Michelle McDonnell at 6 years of age looking pretty fierce.
She is at her grandmothers house where grandpa would let the kids shoot guns
while their parents would smile fixedly and ultimately join in.
Now she is a college graduate and more even beautiful and fierce

A friend (with 5 children) once said
"Socialize them as fast as you can before they can get to the knives and guns"
We were in Pakistan at the baby shower for my own son & now it seems
as good a rule as any for new parents

Pictures for facebook indeed! Watch out grandchildren Grandma had a camera.

A cell phone should be as easy as a toaster, or at least a phone. Instead I have a device that is referred to as "smart" and in fact makes me feel incompetent.  It impedes communication through poor sound quality, gaps, and loss of connection.  All this for more money.  Are we sure that Americans have experienced progress through the transition to cell phones?

Stor: The lost cat and the graphics artist --humor rich & dark

This "story" presents an exchange between "Shannon" mistress of a lost cat and "David" the graphic artist that she is hoping will help her design a poster to find her cat. This is a tale of passive-aggressive co-workers, using art and words to obscure communication, and a moral tale -- albeit at the expense of a fictional kitty-- that is too good not to share.  What happens is dark delicious humor.  Enjoy enjoy.

lost cats and if graphic artists were in charge 

Want more memorable humor?  It is winter and it gets dark early.  This kitty-tale reminds me of my all time favorite Youtube video called "herding cats." It is a hilarious short piece that we posted before.  If you missed it run, do not walk, to watch it.  See Herding cats

Kitten with an attitude, "Who are you calling cute?"

If you like these tell us by clicking "like" or add a comment-- even anonymously. We thrive on your good humor. 

Best wishes Sharon and Natalya.

The Gulf is Your Fault -- A Story

I heard this story by Mark Fiore while listening to Best of the left podcast. It has a Grinchlike feel with humor and sharpness. I've been modifying various childrens songs with "relevant" content, so beware there may be more to come. But, Thanks to Best of the Left. This fits under "I wish I had written it" and "it only hurts when I don't laugh". We picked the Florida burrowing owl to compliment the Dr. Suess style.

Health through imagery

For Karen, a friend entering breast cancer therapy

Health advice:  It is important to move about, stretch, and look silly as part of your health regimen.  This particular example is avian aqua yoga a natural method for stretching and strengthening  muscles and bones.  It is done by advanced practitioners in little pools of water presumably to stay cool.  Splash about and raise a wave.

Pull your arms way up over your head--a salute to the sun, practice balance and looking tall.

Note: Your hair looks much better than theirs however, a little suit of feathers might cheer you up and the silver shoes on the Baltimore Oriole could be just the ticket to feeling less vulnerable around oncologists and chemotherapy.  If we can be any help procuring the various accoutrement just say so.

We are thinking of you. If you want more health advice from the little creatures just let me know.

To see more from the Gallery Birds -- yoga, bathing, and fitness


oh and as a former southerner check out the audiobook 'the help" (see previous blog) if you are cooling your heels in waiting rooms.

Best Sharon, Gib, and Natalya

Kind words and light to Karen

 

Candian heath care humor

In response to the US Men's Hockey Team's historic win over the Canadian team Sunday night.  They will always have the last laugh on health care. Anyone else like to trade universal health care for a win by mens hocky team?

Salonistas, I am trying to learn to put things on the blog for you (and others). This is for all who love language and wondered where the question marks have come from as people talk.

The power of design: Fun in funny places

Recently, while traveling with friends we reconsidered  a question posed  some years ago via questionnaire about how to increase the traffic flow in public restrooms, particularly womens' rooms.

A variety of suggestions were put forward at the time based mostly on dark humor and the assumption that people move more quickly in places that they don't like.

My son suggested that if you really wanted to shake things up that you could significantly change the traffic in mens rooms by putting the urinals back-to-back so the patrons faced each other.  Alternatively, one could place them in a circle facing inwards.

All men  present agreed this was a potent idea that would have far-reaching effects (none that they were in support of).  Some predicted that such a design would create a restroom that no one (man) would use.

The inquiries of the curious women were met with curt certainty and unusual concordance among the men but, no details.

Thus, much giggling ensued.

Tonight I found this wonderful picture by Wim Wiskerke a photographer based in Holland.  He has been a great help to me as I learn the ropes in stock photography and seek to expand and share Gay's available images .  His image that I've included in this post is available at Alamy Stock or from him directly.  It  provides a similar innovative culturally-based approach taken in a REAL mens room in Brussels.  The caption reads "Mens bathroom; urinals at a Brussels restaurant featuring 4 women onlookers, amused, making jokes".

 The anthropologists among us want to assess the response to the design and its impact on use, demand,  and time spent.  We are intrigued.

In truth, the actual solution to the long lines outside the womens loo is  probably to double to number of womens bathrooms available or make all public restrooms unisex.

Then again if some of the ideas proposed here were tried it might be that certain mens rooms could be documented as underutilized and therefore, candidates for renovation into womens rooms.

Please, share your response to these far-fetched notions-- the actual pictures from a Brussles resturant and their loo, or the facing urinals design, how would these affect the situation or environment  we know now?

And, thanks Wim for a great shot.

sharon

I just had to post this. It always makes me laugh. Reiley Lewis, I shall always think of you when I see it too.