When the Homily is about Immunology

Again, lauding my farmgirl

As you likely know, my wife abandoned the world for Greekendale this last weekend. She clearly needed and deserved the break...and I recognize this all the more after my weekend. And I was only in charge of 1/2 to 3/4 of my brood.

Everyday farm chores are time consuming in and of themselves. Feeding, watering, milking, cleaning, and putting to bed are as integral to our lives as I suppose cleaning the kitchen would be to the average non-farm household. Rain or shine, night or day, muddy or dry...the chores must be done. No such thing as a "day off." Now, I'm not asking for sympathy here for two reasons: this was our decision and we are enjoying the labor (and associated fruits thereof) - though it would be disingenuous not to admit that on particularly dark, raining and muddy occasions I lament the labor...but oddly feel even more satisfied at such times when returning to the warmth of the wood stove and a Snow Cap having done my duty.

Combined with homeschooling and everyday normal house chores of which everyone is familiar, I have to wonder how Susan does it. She is tougher and more hard working than me by an order of many magnitudes.

So, one of our "additional" projects this weekend was regarding the securing of the stall in which we are keeping the 50 (now 48) new chicks. I likened our effort to building a fort and given the reality of predation, Nicholas and Charissa took to the job with vigor. With the evening as a deadline and representing the beginning of the inevitable battle (coyotes, raccoons, and feral cats waiting in their trenches nearby like the dark armies of Mordor assembling for their assault on Minas Tirith, we worked through the day nailing, stapling, and running wire netting. I did have to dash the hopes of the youth seeking the construction of catapults to be strategically placed around the barn. Coyotes don't have a Grond anyway, I explained.

I was a little worried the first night and so I went out a couple of times to check on them. I was relieved to hear that they had quieted down (their noisy daytime peeping would attract undue attention in the dark hours when evil reigns) and I suspected the goats would not put up with any critters working their way through their stall (where the ONLY and necessary weak spot in my plan is located - I think). So far, three nights into it, the fortress remains unbreached.

But I remain vigilant...and wish that Mina was bigger.