Everything you need to know about life, you can learn from chickens.

• Communication is the key to a healthy relationship

Chickens really are the great communicators. As someone who is  married, in a career, and very involved with family and friends, I know that communication is key to any good relationship. Chickens know this, too, and they have a very sophisticated  - yet simple - communication system. Who knew they had so many different "calls?" They encourage one another, scold one another, and warn one another - it all depends on the situation they are facing. Looks like calling someone a “chicken” actually means they are pretty brave!

•  Relax and enjoy the sunshine

Just like many of us, chickens love to soak up the sunshine. Our hens will dig little holes in the dirt and flick dirt up onto themselves in a dust bath. Dust baths and sunbathing actually have many health benefits for chickens: the dust baths prevent parasites and the sunbathing is thought to stimulate hens’ metabolisms, along with providing other health benefits. After observing this in my chickens, I feel much less guilt when I indulge in back deck time! It's healthy, and those few moments - however brief - can go a long way in rejuvenating a weary soul.

• Surround yourself with only good people

In spite of what a lot of people think, chickens do like people. Certain people. People who treat them with kindness. People who talk to them. People who bring them food. Sound familiar? They will flock with great excitement to the gate of their yard when they see us. They know the routine. We are dependable. We have a routine. We show up. It's a constant reminder to me to show up for the folks in my life, whether they be my love, my family, my students, or friends. Show up. Be present. Be dependable.

• Be loud and proud about your achievements

Kids love to announce their accomplishments. I typed in 'brag' at first but brag tends to have a negative connotation these days and what kids do is anything but negative. They are proud of the award they won, they are excited about the good grade they worked so hard for and didn't expect, they are delighted when they learn a new skill. And they should be.

But somewhere along the line on the way to being mature, responsible adults we begin to downplay our accomplishments instead of sing them. It's like we've been taught that it's not proper or in good manners to talk about ourselves. 

Have you ever been around a hen during and after she's laid an egg? Let me tell you, it's a par-tay! That doesn't mean that the other hens stop whatever it is they are doing and join her celebration. Instead she spends a few minutes rejoicing and then she goes back to her life and to her co-existence with the others in her flock. Lesson learned. It's okay to take a moment and bask in those hard-earned accomplishments. But don't set up camp there. Take it in and then move on to the next thing. 

• Come home to roost.

Chickens like adventure. They like to peck, wander, and explore. They like to leave their yard and mosey into the neighboring wooded area, foraging as they go. Very rarely do they wander alone; the are really good at the buddy system. But no matter where they are, they come home for the important things. They go to their nesting box to lay and they come home to their coop at night. 

It's a family thing and a safety thing, two of which we can learn from. Family is where it is, and - at the heart of family - is your safe place. It's where people love you even when they don't like you in the moment, it's the spot where you're built up after being torn down during your day, and it's the sanctuary of your heart. It's where you lay down your worries, cares, disappointments, as well as display your triumphs, your dreams, and your wins. 

"She closes her eyes, through her hero's demise. Holds on to her hope beyond the sky. 

She take a breath, weight comes off her chest. She finds a way to weather through the storm.

She cries out, "Home! I need me some home. Oh, I need me some home.""

K A C I

Here's something I've never told many people.

I've always been a "horse" person on the inside. I can remember the car rides to East Texas to visit my grandparents when I was a little girl, when I would gaze dreamily out of the car window, imagining myself on the back of some beautiful, majestic horse.The wind whipping through my hair. Horse and girl as one. A beautiful sunset in the background.

Yes, I had a very active imagination! (Just ask me about Susan and Linda sometime :)

The bottom line was I was a city girl, through and through. I had no access to horses, didn't know the first thing about caring for them, and the closest I'd come to one were the very controlled trail rides at vacation destinations.

But I longed for a horse.

Flash forward forty years (did I just admit that??) and guess what, y'all?

I HAVE A HORSE!

Meet Kaci, my new, beautiful Champagne quarter horse! She has the sweetest disposition, is just the right size for this short gal, and is making my girlhood dream come true!

I've been caring for horses for the past several years. First Tilly, and then Sassy, after she joined our brood. I love them fiercely! Feeding them, talking to them, feeding them treats, and leading the littles around on them. The day we lost Tilly was one of the worst ever. I'll never forget laying in the dirt outside of her stall, stroking her head and whispering to her as she struggled with her last few breaths. I thought my heart was breaking. And Sassy...there's just nothing to NOT love about her: she's spirited, energetic, nosy, and somehow makes it into everyone's wedding photos when they choose to marry here at the B&B. 

But the sheer size of both of them intimidated me, and I rode them very little. 

I knew it would take a special mare to initiate the trust you need to truly bond with your horse. I'd come to the point where I didn't think that time would come for me.

It has, though, in the form of Kaci, purchased just for me by my sweet husband, who is still trying to make all my dreams come true!

Even though it's only been two days, she comes to me when I crawl through the fence into the pasture, she leans her head on my shoulder, and - seriously - I think she knows we're going to have a fine, long relationship.

Staci & Kaci - how could it NOT have been meant to be? 

You'll be seeing a lot of Kaci in the coming weeks, months, and years! ❤ I love her so!

Meet the F A M: animals at the B&B

It's important that if you're going to understand a bit more about Wildernest Ranch and the whole B&B life we have going on around here, that you meet some of the cuties who make up the place. They are our well-loved animals; in fact, SO well loved that we fear a few of them may not even realize they are categorized "animals!"

First up, is a snapshot of the goat/chicken yard. We used to keep the two separate, but decided a couple of years ago, after extensive research, that these two odd-bedfellows actually get along quite well and keep the other company. True story: once we combined the yards, we've had better egg production from our ladies and the goats seem to really enjoy the flock that steals their water and sometimes hides out in their "cafe." 

Meet Harper Lee (darker brown spots, back of the photo) and Judy Blume (lighter brown spots, right in the big middle of the action.) These are our goats and these girls are a HOOT! They are actual twins which we tried to separate at birth. We brought only Harper Lee home, but even at 6 weeks old, she was jumping a 4 ft fence flat-footed in an effort to cross the road and get to her twin. So...you guessed it! We brought Judy Blume home as well and they've been nothing short of content since! They love to play fight, eat leaves and produce, and when they can occasionally escape, they love to run around the corral, giving Sassy fits!

Speaking of Sassy, she is our gentle-hearted, yet high-spirited Palomino. She adores kids (pictured here with our granddoll and two of her friends), treats, and chasing the goats when they manage to escape their own yard. She's had a bit of a rough year since we lost her pasture mate, Tilly, last year. Obviously lonely, she hangs out at the corner closest to the goats most days, all but begging them to come over and play. We hope to bring a new playmate home for her very soon! If you know of a kid-broke, gentle horse who'd enjoy light trail rides and giving small children rides, please let us know! 

         

Last - but in no way AT ALL least - are our two fur babies, Thoreau and Bronte. I simply cannot say ENOUGH about these two lab mixes! After a shaky, unpleasant experience with a dog when I was 12, I had a long-standing fear of most dogs and certainly didn't think I'd ever own one, let alone TWO, that I was absolutely nuts about! Yet, here we are. with two rescues that we love to pieces! 

Thoreau came to us first, almost six years ago. He has been with us through the move from the cabin to our forever home, as we started the B&B, and as we've slowly acquired the ranch animals. Including his adopted sister, Bronte. She's almost three is every bit as spirited as he is calm. We think their names fit them perfectly. Thoreau loves the simple life, much like Henry David Thoreau did, while Bronte is mischievous and spirited, like the Bronte sisters! 

These two are our ranch mascots, for sure! They are usually the first ones to greet our guests. They love kids, love to bark at the UPS guy, and - while loving the warm porch sunshine, have also become quite accustomed to taking shelter in the good 'ol AC of the main house whenever possible! We love them to distraction and probably spend WAY too much time laughing and playing with them. On the other hand, what's better after a long, hard day than two fur babies who think you are the BEST THING EVER!! They are our pupperdogs and we are their humans!

So this is a brief introduction to the main characters at the B&B. All love our guests and welcome treats, pets, and hugs! Stay tuned; no doubt, they'll turn up in future posts!