We Bought a Farm: The Hawk and the stars

Sidge attempting to capture the sunset ... he missed a bit.

Darn hawk. Got a chicken two days ago. Got a hawk again yesterday. With JB at work and no ability to move our egg-mobile to a new place to outsmart the hawk, I did the next best thing. First I let Arabelle out to scare the hawk a bit. Then I hung my winter hat and gloves on a little tree to look like a crazy scarecrow. Maybe that would save the chickens for a few more days.

We kind of "assume" we will lose about a chicken a month to the hawks. They are protected so you can't shoot them. (And John would never agree to that anyway as he is majorly obsessed with birds of all kinds.) But losing two within a few days is not fantastic news so I hoped my scarecrow would do the trick.

Later that evening, I went to put the chickens to bed. At dusk, they climb back into their egg-mobile (all nearly 140 of them), and someone has to shut and lock the door to keep them safe from predators overnight. As I did, I retrieved my hat and gloves from the little tree and turned off my flashlight for a moment. There were stars everywhere. And I mean everywhere.

I couldn't help but think: what if I didn't ever live in the country? Would I ever see these stars? Would I ever get to appreciate sunsets like the one Grama Joni captured in the pictures above. I sometimes have to make myself stop and just look around. And sometimes it is other people here to remind me of how beautiful the hills and valleys and big sky is here on our little peace of Earth.

Breathtaking.
Peaceful.
Beautiful.
Serene.
Awe-inspiring.
God-feeling.

I wonder when I will be from here? I mean, this is my home, but still, the other day while out at a restaurant, someone approached me and said, "Can I ask where you are from? Because you certainly aren't from here?"

(She guessed Chicago as most people do .... I was obviously raised my Chicago-ians.)

But while I am not a southerner by birth, this is now my home. And more and more it is nestling in my heart.

I still don't feel like a southerner ....

But the south certainly feels like my home.