Tag Archives: rooster

Pecking Order

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TickTock and His Dominion, 2019, Archival Digital Photo

There he is surveying his protectorate always on duty.  TickTock is a perfect rooster and day in day out is vigilant about his hens’ safety.  Yes, his hens, male ownership, it wouldn’t fly in today’s awareness of gender equality.  He flew up to take a look at the goslings below, now almost grown and new tenants in the coop.   The hens, except for Clara Big Baby, don’t care about independence and seem to enjoy having a strong male to boss them around.

Apart from collecting eggs, feeding and cleaning duties, my visits to the flock are simply to enjoy and observe. These birds remind me of the basic pleasure of a day spent walking around and pecking to see what you can find.

 

 

The Eternal Reliability of the Turning

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TockTock Free Ranging in the Plant Shed, 2018, Archival Digital Print

There is reassurance in the turning of the wheel and in spite of the things that seem disruptive, each settles in and is absorbed as life continues, the sun rises and travels through the sky and sets in the west only to rise again into our eternity. Maybe not all of eternity but certainly in ours, the life of a mite relative to all time.

My new boy TickTock escaped his crate when I brought him home from a Connecticut farm and is free-ranging in the plant shed.  My confidence in being able to catch any living bird has been challenged by this fast and beautiful boy.  I keep telling him about the six hens who await his morning song and beautiful feathers but TickTock wants none of it.  He’d rather perch and poop on my washing machine.

 

Mist

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Thaw, Mist, Morning, March 4th, 2015, Archival Digital Print

Thaw, Mist, Morning, March 4th, 2015, Archival Digital Print

The only thing missing in this photo is the rooster crowing in the farm in the distance.  March is teasing us.  Today it is warmish, the snow is soppy, the air is full of moisture and 7 inches of snow is predicted for tomorrow.  This has been the most beautiful winter in recent memory simply because I’ve been able to reconnect with the Earth and her moods.