PLAYING WITH CHICKENS AND BLUEBERRY PICKING

Last Saturday I went for my usual visits with my family. I only stayed at Katy's for an hour because the big Saharan dust storm was over Atlanta, which meant the air quality was really bad and Katy was unable to be outside for long. 

Next stop was Cary's where Tessa immediately asked if I wanted to play outside in the backyard with her. Well of course I did. I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon, and Tess had activities planned. 

First she brought two stools outside so that we could sit in the chicken coop with Trixie and her brood. Trixie was more than happy to have us visit with her, although she tried to escape the confines of her prison cell twice and as warden (Tessa) and guard (me. I know my place in the hierarchy) we managed to get her back inside. 

The four younger chicks have been put outside in the coop now, but they are afraid of Trixie who doesn't recognize them as belonging to her, which of course they don't. I'm not sure that she wouldn't sacrifice them to the owls if they got outside the coop.

After chicken playing we moved onto blueberry picking, which apparently was fraught with danger for me. The blueberry bushes are covered with netting to keep the birds and me out. Tessa moved the netting back, jumped over the low fencing, and told me to climb over. 

To my credit I did get one leg over the fence before I realized that the second leg was not going to cooperate, because if I tried to lift it over the fence I was going to lose my balance (it happens with two knee replacements). 

Tessa, the natural problem solver, was trying to figure out ways to help me out. I am so glad that there was no one there to video it, because I started laughing and Tessa started laughing and I was afraid we were going to have to call the fire department to rescue me (I forbade her to go inside and tell her parents on me)

Fortunately, I was able to get the first leg back out of the enclosure and Tessa remembered there was a way to open the fencing so we were able to get inside and pick the berries. Of course what I didn't realize was that when Tess went inside to get baskets she tattled on me. The name Benedict Arnold comes to mind. 

It was at that point that I felt we needed a cooling off period so Tessa suggested we move the stool over under a tree to watch the ducks. When my daughter Cary came out and asked what we were doing way over there I began to have my suspicions that Tessa had been positioning us so that we weren't visible from the house and no one would disturb our closer than we probably should have been time together. 

As for the rest of the week I developed a kidney infection and had to go to urgent care on Tuesday. I was really worried about a trip to the doctor, but they were taking wonderful precautions and I felt very safe. 

I seem to be slow at kicking the infection, which means I am forced to stay at home and rest. I am sick of staying at home and resting, but it means that I am researching how to use the camera on my new Iphone 11. 

I am not going for my weekly visit today, but Monday is Tessa's birthday and I won't miss that. Katy is hopefully going to be able to come and stay out in the yard away from everyone. It will be her first time out of her home, other than her one medical appointment, in over four months. 

It may not be a typical birthday celebration, but I'm sure it will be wonderful. After all it's Tessa's big day. 

Happy July 4th.