Speaking of School

Hund School - 1930

Reads the title on this little white building that is in our country neighborhood, as the crow flies. Dotted around us are several of these tiny one room buildings, that were home to pupils of times past. Some, like the Hund School, were only there since the 30's... not so old, we say, but it was a time when electricity did not come to every farm around yet, and people were lucky to get their news on a big radio against the living room wall. Down our road is the tiny Admire school, built of limestone. It is being lovingly restored by a young carpenter who has repoured the floors and bolstered the walls against decay. He hopes to move his little family into it someday, and the school will be the core of the new family house, with a bedroom wing built on. We love to see it lit in the evenings now, while he is working on it, it's lights aglow again on it's corner of the road.

Our mare is up and moving, and consultation with her previous owner says that she may have had too much medication for her ills. She is wandering very slowly in the yard with her companion in the sun this morning, and the vet will see her again on Tuesday. It is deceptively sunny, the sun belies the fact that it is still briskly cold, and I hurried through the chores before church. It beats the blowing snow of three days ago, though, by far.

The ducks and geese are asleep in the straw of the vacated horsebarn. One gander, Timmy, cannot figure out how to step through the tube gate, so stands outside honking at his friends. Now the gate is open, so that all five are in there sleeping, heads tucked under their wings. Some of the hens have joined them, and they are all resting in the straw. The little hens are still in the henhouse, it is harder for them to stand up to the breeze, and their roosters keep them close. One tiny one, Dovey, is on a clutch of eggs, but we will take them out from under her today and endure her pecking. It is far too soon for anyone to be setting this year, and we hope not to have chicks... we will be on guard against this, in fact. We ended up with too many cockerels last year, and foolishly have not gotten rid of them... so don't want to encourage any more.

Saturday passed in a blur of errands and "must-dos". Today will be slower, with laundry and picking up to do, but keeping quiet the Lord's day.