Maisie's Gone Broodie

What is it that, after months of laying an egg in the nest box, hopping down afterwards, and running out into the run to be with the other hens, causes one hen one day to decide it's time to sit on the egg or any others a dedicated maternal hen can find? Such was the way the day began for Maisie. After there were 2 eggs laid in the coop in a neatly formed nest of shavings, Maisie decided it was now her job to nestle them under her and add her own freshly laid egg to bunch and begin to sit in earnest in hopes of hatching baby chicks. It means nothing to her that her ordeal will meet with total failure. There is no rooster, there has been no rooster, and there will be no forthcoming hatched chicks. None the less, Maisie has a job to do. Panting in the summer heat, even with all the coop doors and windows open, Maisie is dedicated to and driven by nature to fulfill her role as a chicken. She does so without question and without grumbling. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned for us. What is your role and do you do it without question or grumbling?

Slow down and take time to enjoy the day.

The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.

~Louis L'Amour

There's nothing like a solo hike in the woods to be able to slow down and enjoy the journey but it's so hard in our day to day, rushed lives to feel like we have time to enjoy the journey. I believe our journey is defined by many of our choices.  If you feel rushed and panicked in the morning trying to get out the door for your day (or getting the kids out the door), have you considered getting up a little earlier? Maybe try enjoying the journey rather than having 30 extra minutes in bed. Try leaving early and enjoy the drive instead of fretting about the traffic. Sitting in traffic for me is extra time to enjoy the scenery or an additional 30 minutes to listen to my favorite book. Getting to the office early means some quiet time to enjoy that cup of coffee rather than a hurried race to your desk to start the work day. It's amazing how crazy all the other drivers are out there when they are blocking your RACE to wherever you're going. Somehow they fade into the background when you aren't late and you feel you can just settle in with the flow.

There's nothing I like more than a quiet hike in one of our many available natural areas but even then it seems too many are out for the race. Their purpose seems to be how fast they can get back to the trail head or campsite. They miss so much of what's there to be seen. This Junco nest was less than a foot off the Appalachian Trail. If you travel quietly and in tune with your surroundings, you can spot them as the mother bird flies away as you approach. If she hears you coming from a mile away like a freight train, you'll never see the nests.

How much have you missed while barrelling through your life's journey? Slow down, take a walk with a toddler and see how wondrous life can be when you take the time to look.