Wasn't It Just Yesterday...

Wasn't it just yesterday...

that we drove to the Post Office to pick up 24 tiny, down puffballs?

Wasn't it just yesterday, that I lifted each newly hatched chick

out of the box, one at a time...

to place its beak in the water for its first drink,

and to show it the food that would help it to grow?

And now, two months later, we have twenty four adolescent beauties

who will soon join their older counterparts...

eventually making their way out into the world of the farm.

It's just a mini-glimpse of life...

and how quickly we grow from infants to adults...

repeating the cycle with our children,

and then our grandchildren.

And it all seems to fly by so quickly... one day at a time!

There are moments when I am overcome with nostalgia...

filled with memories of a different time...

happy memories of my childhood...

joyful memories of my children's childhood.

And now, I find myself in the midst of my grandchildren's childhood.

Scores of memories are preciously packed tightly, in a box, in my heart...

snapshots of moments... each just as clear as the other...

able to be unpacked and enjoyed whenever I like.

Watching our chicks grow into hens serves as a reminder

of how important it is to be present in each day...

really paying attention to each moment as we move through it...

keeping our eyes open - for, if we blink, we just might miss it.

(LINK to Video)

I suppose this is why I try so hard to provide my loved ones with happy memories.

I am helping to pack their boxes with moments that they, too,

can someday unpack and enjoy.

Happy memories and a love and respect for nature.....

those are really all that I have to give... that lasts.

Back to the chicks....

Hubbs named this rather gregarious young lady "Buffy".

She is a Buff Orpington.

Our little black, feather-footed beauty is "Coco".

(on the bottom rung)

She's a Cochin, I think.

We also have two of these lovely Light Brahmas,

who also have feathers on their feet.

Amazingly, it seems that none of our youngsters are roosters.

This is the very first group of hens that we have ever had

that included no roosters.

By now we would have an inkling if we did.

We may just have to find a rooster somewhere...

it's a little too quiet in the chicken yard!