Positive signs of what children are learning and how they see the world...

This is not so much about bullies, or preventing it, but a story about some positive things goin gon that make the world a better place.  I have been reminding my children, with all the competitions the participate in, that life isn't about winning every race, competition and prize.  Life is about doing the best you can and learning along the journey, and being proud of the person you were along the way.

We brought this hen home on Friday. She is presently living in a pen by herself, as she is new to the property and should be quarantined. As many of you know already, I have been mentoring an elementary school in an underpriviliged area with poultry. They were already doing beautifully with their gardens, where the youth select health ingredients for snacks and lunches and the families take turns helping with caring for the plants.

In the fall, a local farm donated ten hatching eggs for the children, and the school used an incubator (the hard way to begin the first time) and we candled eggs and waitd for some to hatch. Only one hatched, so the teacher bought a blue cochin at the feed store to be its friend growing up.

The young chicks are now over three months old, and are ready to move into the freshly built coop. Having seen the little ones throughout their life, the children are anxious to collect eggs.

In order to see the project all the way through, my friend Mai donated the Rhode Island Red you see above. Wyatt has selected a Phoenix hen to go along with her to the school as his donation to the project, one who likes to hatch babies.

So as the last touches are going on the coop this weekend, the Rhode Island will remain at our little farm for a couple of days. Early in the coming week, Bailey and Wyatt will help me take the birds to the class and get everyone settled in together. What an exciting time! In a world where nutrition has taken a back seat to convenience and cost, it is a pleasure to be a part of such a special project where youth learn to grow their own food and prepare it healthfully.

When this little Rhode Island Red came home, Wyatt was sad to sit her by herself, though he knows that is the proper way to do things when you raise a lying and meat flock. So after chores, he sat with her a while. "Everyone needs a friend, Mama. Especially when you go to a new place."

Okay, maybe there is hope for this workd after all...