Poor chicken..!

This gi-nor-mous, lumpy, corrugated egg was delivered by one of my hens. All I can say is, "OUCH."

Bald Eagles and sisters...

My sister, fondly known as "Dicy," died too young of cancer. Dicy was the funny sister. A bit rebellious, she was the darling of the family in many ways. She was kind, overly generous, and always ready to make someone laugh. She loved nature, and had a special fondness for large birds of prey. The last day I spent with her, we rode in her boat around Merrymeeting Bay and she pointed out the nests of Bald Eagles and Osprey. The birds delighted her. At the time her head was bald from chemo therapy, but her spirit was intact.

Several weeks later she left this earth, and while I grieved, my head was peppered with images of eagles and osprey. A short time late, I moved to Maine, (a move that felt so right!) I walked outside one day and heard a strange noise. It was the call of a large bird of prey. I stood in my new yard, late for work, listening to the sound coming closer and closer. It came from the lake, across the trees and meadow, towards me. And then I saw it, a young Eagle, flying my way. It landed in the uppermost branches of a tree across the street from my driveway, and sat there, staring in my direction calling and calling and calling. All the little hairs on the nape of my neck stood at attention.

Two years later my remaining sisters and I went on our first ever kayak trip together. We paddled from a large pond, through a boggy area, down a river and out to a smaller pond. We laughed and talked as we paddled past herons and other water fowl. At a huge granite outcropping we beached our red kayaks and clambered out. We swam in the warm water and each of us was joyful... almost complete. The only thing we lacked was our missing sister.

When we finally climbed up on the sun-warmed rock, I fashioned a small wreath from the stems of flowers growing in cracks on the granite face. The youngest sister, I plucked a silver hair from my head and wove it through the green stems. My older sisters followed suit. Our completed circle of stems and plucked hairs was rather lovely. We paused a moment, each in memory of the sister lost, then together we flung the wreath upon the water.

Long seconds passed as we were lost in thought. The sister-wreath bobbed on small waves. Our reveries were shattered by the haunting call of an eagle... winging towards us though the impossibly blue sky. It circled the rock we stood upon, dark wings, white head, chilling voice. For one wonderful moment we were four again, sisters united.

Loon calls broke our magic spell. The three of us remaining sisters paddled back, the setting sun at our backs, feeling oddly complete.

Wonderment

Tired after a long day of teaching and tradeshow, I rode a crowded elevator up to the 13th floor. Standing next to me was a little girl who looked to be about 7 years old. As the doors shut and the elevator swiftly lifted, she tilted her shining face up at me and whispered in total wonderment, "It gets us there so FAST!"

And in one sentence she washed away my weariness and let me share in her excitement of the magic that surrounds us. Not just an elevator, but a shining push-button silver adventure.

Oh! The things I take for granted!

Special spirits...

This man's name is Frank. He is the greeter at the Atlanta Pet Fair, and at many other grooming industry trade shows that I attend. He and his team work security at the shows, and they are among the nicest people I have ever met. Frank is the kind of person that sort of radiates kindness and goodness. I smile just to see him... he ALWAYS remembers my name, always has a kind word, a hug, a gentle tease for me. He is a person that I do not know well by any stretch of the imagination, but I treasure him just the same. He is one of those souls who enrich the lives of those he touches. We need more men like Frank in this world.

Direction

Tomorrow I am heading south... out of the snow and sub zero temperatures to Georgia, where it is supposed to be in the 60's. That sounds nearly tropical compared to the -08 degrees it was when I went out with the dogs this morning. It was so cold that Poppy pug was convinced she could not walk across the snow back inside after she was empty. She stood, paralyzed, lifting one foot, then another, making hardly any progress until I scooped her up and carried her inside.

Of course, I'll be in the hotel most every moment all weekend, but I will SEE some blooming flowers and trees on my way to and from the airport. I wont need a winter coat or hat or fuzzy mittens. And that will make me know that spring is marching this way, sometimes paralyzed by the cold, to be sure, but coming just the same.

We will embrace the mud and bugs and be buoyed by birdsong and sunshine and daffodils. Come north, spring, come north!

The Great Unveiling!

Here is a little pile of what has been keeping me quite busy for the past few months. I decided to write a little book, and then I actually DID it. For that I am so pleased! Pleased that I followed through, and have something to show for my efforts.

We chose to publish it here at home, so that part has been keeping my husband busy. I wrote, photographed and did the lay out, Chris is printing and binding. I think my job was the easy part.

Gearing up...

In 4 days I fly to Georgia to be a part of the annual Atlanta Pet Fair. This is an event I look forward to all year, but gosh its a lot of work to get ready! This picture shows me giving a class at last years show. This year I am slated to work at the German Red Clipper booth, and give 3 hours of educational lectures. I am putting the finishing touches on the lectures, and doing a bunch of other things in preparation for the show. One of those things is printing and binding the book I just wrote. I am introducing my little book at the Pet Fair.

We are anticipating MORE SNOW tonight, perhaps as much as 15 inches. So, I add "brace for storm," to my long list of things to do.
On the upside, I can pretty much guarantee there will be flowers blooming in Georgia, and that little taste of spring will be a delight.

And while we are talking about delights... I just found out I was nominated for a couple of truely nifty awards! http://www.cardinalcrystalawards.com/ if you want to go see. Yikes!