The chickens are growing so fast!

Paula has named 5 of the 6 pullets: Amelia, Rhoda (Rhode Island Red), Lilly… She’s been spending more time with them than I have, so they hop up to her hand quickly, and they are all trying out their new wings, making short flights from one cardboard-box wall to the other.

Wonderful last few days, living in Spring. Tomato starts are coming up, the garden is at least half-tilled, I bought new fencing, we had friends over for a trail-jog on the land and a lunch outside, and there was this sliver of a new moon in the sky last night, when the wind had died, and it was so still and quiet.

Paula and I walked to the top of the back hill last night, watched the stars pop out. Orion came into view. While walking down the hill to the woods, a buck snorted its warning in the darkness.

Strolling by the ravine in the woods, I said: “This area, this view, reminds me of the West, for some reason — a view of the stars between these straight trees.”

“Like aspens?” Paula asked.

“Yes, like aspens, I guess.”

Magical days.