A Week of Firsts
Help we are being robbed by the masked sailor! This last week has been spent preparing the Kid for his very first sailing regatta. Nothing like a drop kick to the butt to ge tone going. “Hey Kid, there is gonna be a youth regatta at the local sailing club. You sailed for a week last year at camp, you wanna participate?” Three days later after trip to the next city over for borrowed sailing gear, a quick refresher in the club swimming pool, the Kid is ready. Winds have been blowing all week like a banshee and this Kid is beyond excited. He cannot contain his excitement. It is reflecting poorly on his choices. To lessen his mouth from getting him in trouble, he covered it. Smart kid.
Fasten the mainsheets! Have no idea what that means, but I heard in a movie once and I have always wanted to say it. Saturday dawned early as participants are required to be ready at 830. This means setup starts as early as 7am. The winds blew and they blew and they blew. Race officials will call a regatta if winds reach above 30 mph. Winds were peaking at 26 mph and were expected to maintain its course throughout the day. While race officials volleyed back and forth, 60 racers between the ages of 8-18 readied their boats. They were not fazed about the wind. In fact, they grumbled because the race was delayed. Kids have no fear. Waves were capping at four foot in the bay and these kids were talking as though it was a calm breeze. Just look at this picture. These waves were inside the protected harbor waters. It was an amazing day and the kids did amazing. Even my Kid. Boxes in Fields: off the grid, unconventional, low impact living who strongly support reduce/reuse/recycle, and now sailing.
After two days of sailing, 8-4 on Saturday and 8-2 on Sunday, the Kid left for his very first solo plane ride to Big City #2 on the last flight out of town. in the next town over. Grandma was going to come and get him but there was no time. With a hug and kiss and a reminder to mind his manners, off we sent him with a flight attendant. A flight attendant!
The Planner watched from the inside and I watched from the outside. Before we could even get home, 35 minutes away, Grandma was already calling stating his plane had arrived and he did great. Technology is amazing. To drive to Big City #2 would have taken 3.5 hours. To fly took 35 minutes. Bye sailor kid, enjoy your week long space program at NASA camp. Learn some cool robotics stuff and how to fly to the moon.
Last year when the Kid went to Grandma’s, the Planner and I had a staycation and spent the entire week working to clear trees and brush. This time there is no staycation just work. This is a first for us just to spend time doing us things. Time was spent relaxing and playing and doing general nothingness. It was nice.
Because there was no bed curfew to adhere to, we watched the sunset on the beach. Then because we’re already there, we watched the stars come out too. It reminded me of a time long, long ago before the Kid and the doggo when it was just us two and we went to the beach every chance we got. Other people go to the beach to fish, to swim, to run helter skelter. We go to the beach to do nothing. And by nothing, I mean nothing. Naps, sand rubbings, naps, and general observations of the world around us without lifting a hand. Ahhh, the good old days…. First, it was a doggo, then two years later it was a kid, now it is eleven chickens. Seriously, the Planner needs to learn to tell me no. NO!
One day while the Kid was gone we simply watched the little peepers do their thing. There was no jabbering, no rustling, no badgering the dog. There was simply peeping. Since the neighbor has a yard full of wonderful grass, I snuck over there and stole some clippings off her burn pile. I am sure she did not mind. Chickens being the chickens they are were leery. Downright scared actually of the grass clippings. Guess new treats need to be slowly introduced. Even the noisy chicken was standoffish. Silly chickens.
Friday came amazingly quick being nothing was done. Figures. When we came back after going to pick up the Kid, we were surprised with our very first egg. Three to be egg-act. One blue egg was on the ground inside the run, one underdeveloped egg was in the coop under the roosting bars, and one light brown egg was in the back corner. Good thing the Kid can still fit in the coop!
The Kid was so excited he couldn’t speak clearly. Wish I had had that on video, him being silent. Remember the line from Shrek: “It talks! Yeah, but it is getting him to shut up that’s the trick.” The Kid and Donkey have a lot in common in the talking department.
Farmers and chicken lovers say when a chicken is laying she will squat down when touched. This is Nosy Nelly. I touched her without thinking and she squatted. When released she gave me death ray eyes. How dare you, you featherless egg robber, touch me. Give me back my egg!
Now that the little peppers are laying eggs, the nesting boxes cover was removed. Three nesting boxes were created and closed because the peepers kept roosting in the boxes instead of their roosting bars. It worked after a few days. For about a week, the chickens slept on top of each other in a corner of the coop before they took the roosting bars. The cover was removed and the door had not even been closed when here came Nosy Nelly to investigate. Look at the stretch from the coop to the nesting box. Surprised she didn’t fall out of the coop. Crazy chicken.
Hay was brought over and the Kid worked diligently at removing straw. These industrialized farmers did a great job at bailing this hay. It took pulling and shoving and clawing to break small pieces apart. The Planner had to be required to assist as strength was needed. A man with muscles. Thank you, sir.
Hay was spread and hay was packed and the nesting boxes were complete. Now the chicken coop is officially a working operation. Next on the list is to modify the water feeder so it will hold more than one days worth of water and not fill with algae.
The door was shut and before I could get around the other side, in goes Nosy Nelly. Just love me some chickens. They are all around great entertainment. Hot dog, what a week for the Kid. He sailed, he went to space, and he became an egg collector. What a great way to the start of the summer.