Sunset on the Greatest Chicken of Them All: Rest in Peace My Sweet

My neighbor stopped by today to ask about my bantam hen Cinnamon.  I haven't seen her in two weeks. She said that her and her granddaughter are missing Cinnamon's daily visits to her house. She had her routine that she never strayed from. In the morning she'd have a little Daddy time with me then she would bop over to the neighbors house for a smackeral of food and a visit with their chicken. In the afternoon she would make her way back to our property and mill around in her dirt bath or stop at the bird feeder and score a few seeds that fell on the ground. She also enjoyed getting chased around by our Bulldog Prudence. I think she really like that. They hung out together. Prudence would eat the poops as they fell out of Cinnamon's ass (maybe they taste like chicken). The absolute greatest thing about Cinnamon is how early in the morning I would go out and open her pen and she would come running out and she would run right beside me and follow me around until I bent down and she would jump up onto my arm, then we would go score some bread and sit on the deck and I would drink my coffee and she would have her breakfast. Another great thing she did was when she would see me, she'd break out into a full run and sprint to me. Hilarious watching something run so fast with no arms. My neighbor said she a hawk swooping down trying to get her chicken, so that must be what happened to Cinnamon. I've been kind of in denial, hoping she would just show up one afternoon and come fly up on my arm. I look for her all the time, seeing her in my mind as she walks along the fence. Deep down I know she's gone though. She was a great friend and I will never forget her.

I Started Drawing Again

Quint: Work in progress

African Tortoise in Winter

I built our tortoise Leo an insulated 12'x4' home out in the chicken barn. He is way too big,smelly and noisy to live in the house. There was also a "he goes or you go" kinda thing going on. Anyway, I'm worried about him out there. He has two 250 watt heat lamps and a daytime light that I put on a timer. I just put in a wireless thermometer, which works wonderful. It has a little transmitter mounted inside his cage and the reciever is in the house. So far with the two heat lamps going the temp is in the high 80's if the temp is below 30. Above 30 and it'll get close to 100 so on those days I have to remember to unplug one of the lamps. The only problem I can see other than no natural sunlight for 4 months is a power outage. I'll have to run his heat off of a generator if that happens.

Screech Owl pen and ink

A Poem

sitting in my car
waiting
boredom
elderly crossing guard
helping children
I aim my fist at her
it launches from my arm
across a great distance
and fells the old woman

CHECKMATE!

I am now a fully ordained Priest.

Friday Night

I'm sitting in this pub with my wife and I'm thinking....why does my brain play back the guy next to Me's laugh one second after he finishes laughing, and it's not just his laughing. A group of women are talking and giggling a couple of tables over from us and I'm playing their laughter over in my head too, and it's not just a carbon copy of their laughs. I exaggerate how stupid they sound and play it back for them(in my mind). All the while trying not to appear completely insane to my wife. It's not that easy to pull off. I mean... am I mad? If I truly was I wouldn't be asking this question I suppose.

Mississippi John Hurt

29 Geese

twenty nine geese on a cold November morning
flying north I think or is it west?
winded, I sit and feel
as my life ends

Merle Haggard

New Friend

She was sitting in the middle of the road so I scooped her up and took her to Dunkin Donuts with me. She smelled aweful. Stunk up the car.

Leo vs Prudence 1

Yesterday I caught these two in battle. Leonardo was furious at Prudence and was chasing her all over the yard. Prudence had no idea that Leo was trying to kill her, she thought it was a game. She would try to ram her face inside Leo's shell,where his head was, and Leo would pull his head in and try to stab her with his spikes. Then she would run away and the tort would chase her. He was really pissed off. I couldn't find my Flip video camera to film it. I'll try to get some video today.

Waylon Jennings Drawing