Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Again yesterday, I didn't have time to blog. I make time today, just because.
In case people think that all 80 year olds are sitting in their rockers, contemplating nature, let me disabuse you of that idea. I do have a lovely rocking chair on the front porch. It was pleasantly warm yesterday and comfortable to sit there, watching my ambitious little Doxle shoulder deep in the hole she was digging to find a gopher. However, that was for just a short period late in the afternoon with a half glass of wine, resting my aching back.
Yesterday was a busy one. I started out about 6:30am as usual, going out to feed the barn cat and picking up the newspaper, fixing my coffee and feeding Blue, the dog. Back in the bedroom, Blue cuddled up next to me and went back to sleep. I said my morning prayers for a little over an hour, read the paper and did the puzzles. After making my usual morning phone calls to California to check in with a daughter and a friend that I contact morning and evening (just to be sure the two of us are still alive), and having my egg and English muffin while I looked at my e-mails on the computer,I threw on my jeans and got to work.
I was expecting a shipment of 20 chicks and 5 keets (baby Guinea fowl) by the end of next week. The brooder room was not quite ready yet. The large plastic bin for the keets needed to be washed out. The brooder "corral," for want of a better word, was ready for the chicks. After cleaning the bin and putting it into the room, a small room inside our large barn/shed, I put down newspapers in both baby homes, made sure the brooder heat lamp was adjusted in the chick brooder, and put a nail in the wall closer to the keet brooder for the other heat lamp. Chicks need 95 degree temperature for the first week, decreasing by 5 degrees each week. Opening a large bag of pine shavings, I filled a waste basket several times with them and made an inch of comfy shavings in each of the brooders. Feeders and waterers were ready to be filled.
The shed itself needed sweeping out from leaves and sand blown in by the recent rains. So, that chore was done. There were some empty boxes that needed to be taken out of there and disposed of, as well. In the open garden shed some trash needed to be put into black lawn bags and some garden supplies tucked back onto shelves. The bird feeders needed attention, so that was next on the list. Noticing some stray flora sticking up from a well-shaped huge azalea bush, I took the clippers and dispatched some odd vines and another plant that was coming up through the bush.
Later in the day I watered the raised bins for Mona, who had been transplanting some seedlings and working in our "greenhouse." The bins are thriving with onions and garlic, to be ready in a couple of months. She and Chris had erected trellises in the bins, using left over fencing from the perimeter fence we had put around the property. (I could have used Chris yesterday, but he was at work). It is good and sturdy, 14 mil wire, held up by wooden stakes at intervals. Snap peas, Kentucky Wonder beans and Purple Hull beans are climbing there. Cucumbers have been planted, as well. More to come. Tomatoes and Bell Peppers are going into large buckets soon. They are sprouting in the "greenhouse" right now.
There is an areaway between Mona's apartment and the dining room in the main part of the house. It gets great light from a large window. On a long bench are seed pots, a fluorescent light strung above which can be raised and lowered, and a ceiling fan which also offers good light. Yesterday Mimi put a small table bubbler in the room to increase some humidity. It makes a great greenhouse for starting our veggies and herbs, which are also thriving in there at the moment.
I took time to go with Mimi yesterday afternoon to see the little rental house she bought for income. The cleaning gal was there, making a huge difference in the place, which the previous owner had left very unacceptably dirty. His real estate agent arranged for the cleaning - not at Mimi's expense!
Later yesterday afternoon I called the company from whom I ordered the chicks, to be delivered (to the post office, believe it or not), to order some other products. While on the phone I found out that we wouldn't be getting our chicks until May 9th!!! That is totally unacceptable, since I want laying hens by September at the latest. I called our local little farm and ranch store, where I got chicks last year and buy most of the feed. They aren't getting in more chicks until next week and the selection is small. So - I called the large farm and ranch store in Tyler. They have a great selection - right now - of at least some of the breeds of chicks that I want and keets as well. They are only about three days old. Perfect! So today, I'm going to Atwoods to get the chicks and cancelling my order with the other company.
When I got that information it was back out to the brooder room. I readied the feeders and adjusted the heat lamps once more. I'll turn them on before I go get the chicks, so all will be toasty for them when they get to their new home. I checked for eggs from my current small flock and waited til near sunset to give them their "scratch" for the day. I'm giving them their extra goodies later and later in the day. Soon I will be free-ranging them on our now fenced in property. To coax them back to the safety of their coop in the evening, I'll wait to give them the "treats" then.
After my chores were complete, I then took the time to sit in my rocker and sip a little wine before a quick cheese sandwich for dinner. I missed going to Church last evening for Stations of the Cross and Mass. I was just a little to tired and achy. I thought I would need an Aleve before I went to bed, but thought better of it and slept very well, thank you. So you see, don't count 80 year olds out. There's a lot left in us. Except for a little soreness in one arm, I'm rarin' to go today.
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Now about St. Gabriel the Archangel, whose Feast is celebrated today
Gabriel seems to be God's Chief Ambassador. His name is interpreted as "Strength of God." He was sent to Daniel, in the Old Testament, to enlighten him as to the time Christ would be born. He told Zachary about the birth of his son, John the Baptist. He announced to the Virgin Mary that she would be the Mother of Christ, and calmed Joseph's fears about her pregnancy. It was Gabriel who announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds and led the multitude of hosts who sang "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will." He warned Joseph and assisted the Holy Family's flight to Egypt. It is thought that Gabriel is the angel that consoled Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, before His Passion was to begin.
Dom Gueranger has much to say about Gabriel. I quote a little here. "These are the proofs which St. Gabriel gives of his deserving his beautiful name, 'Strength of God.' God has employed him in each stage of the great work in which He has chiefly manifested His power; for Jesus, even on the Cross, is the Power of God, as the Apostle tells us. The whole human race is indebted to thee, O Gabriel! Blessed messenger of our Redemption whom God selects as His minister when He would show His power, we beseech thee, offer the homage of our gratitude to Him that thus sent thee."
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And now, it's late for my breakfast. I need to get on my hobbyhorse and get ready to start mothering some new babies. I want to pick them up before noon and it's after 9:30am already.
3/24/12
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