Joy and feathers...

 Our little chicken coop has been empty for a few weeks. A friend took my little flock of Cochins to live at her house. Yesterday, Chris and I drove down winding roads past rolling fields and sun-spangled woods to Penobscot Poultry, where we often buy birds. I had arranged to bring home eight rare breed chicks, Olandsk Dwarfs. This breed of tiny chickens originated in Sweden. They have brightly colored speckled feathers in shades of brown, black, grey, white, and tan. I think they will be charming bustling about in the backyard. For now, they are in a brooder in the kitchen, and I am finding it hard to get much done because I sit and stare at them every time I pass by. 

Summer is winding down, and my favorite season is beginning. I love the cool mornings, the grass heavy with dew and spider webs glistening under the slanted rays of early sun. The gardens are covered in rollicking waves of flowers, and roadside stands are laden with pumpkins and colorful gourds. I can't help but bring some home.

 I saw my first wooly bear caterpillar of the season yesterday. Legend has it that they forecast the winter weather by how broad their black bands are. This one predicts we will have a lot of cold and snow. I am pleased to have our firewood in, and the chimney cleaners will come tomorrow. Soon, we will have fires crackling in the stove, and it will be so cozy.

                                                     

I hired a painter to patch and paint the ceilings in our front, dining, and living rooms. They all look bright and clean now, and I am itching to do fall cleaning and decorating. While he was here, I asked if he could give the stairs a fresh coat of paint, and he made them look so pretty. 

We've been blessed with company the past few weeks. Angel from NC with her daughter Sabrina, who works in a museum in Washington, DC, and another daughter, Fields, who is working in Maine this summer. They no sooner left than sister Deb arrived for a quick visit. Good meals and laughs were shared, and everyone enjoyed the Owlet and Cygnet's antics. 

Today, I will pick bouquets of flowers and bake something tasty. I will be grateful for the arriving autumn season, the loved ones who visit, and my snug little home. And new chicks, peeping under a heat lamp and adding joy in the form of feathers to my life.