Of Dogs & Chickens

For several mornings now, Maisy has been waking me up out of the precious sleep I've been able to squeeze in.  Each time, she convinces me that she HAS to go outside or she's gonna have an accident right then & there.  And then, each morning once I've thrown on a bathrobe to combat the chill of the house and stumbled downstairs, she goes to her food dish and NOT the front door.  So aggravating, I can't tell you!  

She's not losing weight, so I know it's not that she's just more active and needs more food.  So, naturally, my mind jumps right to worms or some other horrible disease that's sapping all her energy.  Sigh.  The result of it all is that I'm missing out on that last hour or so of sleep, Maisy gets shoved out the door (and NOT immediately fed, thank you very much), and I get an earlier - and also needed - start to the day.  (Odd postscript to the scenario:  once I'm up and Maisy sees that she has NOT convinced me to feed her prior to the appropriate time, she's fine . . . snoring away at my feet as I type.  Hmph.  Damn dogs.)

I know I have a lot to catch up on, so, in no particular order . . . .


The 'Chickens with Mama' course went well, everything considered.  I was definitely a little disappointed by the course evaluations, though, that the students filled out.  I had 6 students, and on a scale of 1-5 (5 being highest), I scored a cumulative 4.4 for 'the instructor made me feel comfortable and met my individual needs throughout the course'.  On 'the instructor's knowledge about the subject was thorough and well presented', I was given a 4.2.  

But, okay, I've gotta say . . . looking at it from this perspective (the above paragraph), I shouldn't be too down on myself.  I was thinking I'd average out lower.  It's just that when you see a 2 . . . it really sticks with you.  And, I also have to balance that score for my 'knowledge of the subject' with the fact that the same student then wrote, under 'Learning Experience' that one of the three greatest strengths of the experiences was 'strong knowledge from instructor'!  ?!  So, yes, I know:  we are our own worst critics.


They did have some good suggestions, though:  one, in particular, being that I have copies of my own notes for them to follow . . . and to use as a class outline.  I will definitely do that in the future, and it will help me to not stray too far from the path or have to ask, as I did a few times, "where was I?"

Finally, upon seeing the brooder I'd built, they decided, as a group, that they'd rather spend time on other things (visiting local farms) than building it.  But, I think, too, that when each of them gets around to finally HAVING their first batch of chicks and setting aside the materials and hours to actually BUILD that multi-purpose "brooder" . . . that they'll wish we HAD built one.  But, of course, that hindsight can only come with experience and time.


All in all, though, and especially given my recent excess of personal busyness, the class went well.  Did I take any pictures?  Of COURSE not!  (Duhhhhh.)  A few of the students did, and I'll post those if I get my hands on 'em.