This Chicken is kinda representive of everything I love. It's got beauty, it just trusts God will take care of it. As a hen it {usually...} does not think itself too important. It minds its business. It just wants to be a chicken. And thats good enough for it. It does not want to be a duck. Or a turkey, or goose. Just a chicken. Got to be an important lesson in there some where.

Heres a little painting of a local antebellum house. For all our vaunted technology, we still cannot build houses as lovely as these old houses were built. My duck house below, is better designed than most modern houses are. Why is everything now, often so ugly? Everything is plastic, made to throw away, and designed as if wasn't meant to last a year or two.

I was just looking at the large watercolor painting I did of the 2 ducks I used to have. Big Ned, and Harriet. Very large and joyous Pekin ducks. They are gone now. Being a furniture maker, I created a "duck tractor" for them in the backyard where I lived at the time. Ducks have marvalous personalities, as any one who has raised them would know. they are like little children, rather messy, and lovable for it. Chickens are great, but don't have quite the fun loving personalities of ducks. Might be time to think about getting another pair. Pekins are meat ducks, but my hen, kept laying eggs. And laying, and laying....... They make a great breakfast.

Yesterday while out looking for a new hedge trimmer, I decided to stop at Rosie's Cafe, in the nearby town of Ozark. Ordered a BLT. Came with a HUGE helping of homemade fries. A fine meal, on a fine day. I have a personal belief that we should all patronise local businesses if we can. The whole world seems to be "McFranchised" to death. Part of the Agrarian ideal, is that local, is better. Rosies BLT and fries sure are.

We could sure use some more rain. The Ozarks thin gravelly soil, does not hold water very well. Even with 45 inches of rain every year, it sometimes does not seem enough. And this year is still not over the bad drought of last year. I hope the Lord sends some more soon.