Talk about impromptu decisions. Yesterday morning I listened to NPR & heard mention a musical, The Color Purple was playing 3 days, only this week, in nearby Folsom. So, next thing I knew I had a ticket for a performance, same night. EEEKK! So last night I found myself sitting in the beautiful and enormous Three Stages auditorium in a v. good seat, and I marveled I was only 7 and a half miles from home, in Folsom. Who knew there were a theater venue so close to my place?

The Color Purple? It was a delight, and it was not just a retelling of the movie, but it was a new interpretation of the novel. I loved that the decades old novel still had something to surprise me with, not the least of which was the songs/voices of the cast. I think what delighted me the most was how the stage production was able to take liberties in some telling of the story, that embellished it all. For example, as Celie read the letters from her sister in Africa, in this version of the tale Celia was able, in her mind of course, to join her sister there and share her adventures. I ate that stuff UP! And redemption - there was more redemption for some of the wicked, but none at all for another - oh well.

Now... I know the musical is meant to uplift one's spirits, which it did, but it also made me gape in wonder, that the star of the show who played Celie, could open her mouth, out of which came a beautiful, other worldly voice. In NO way is it fair, THAT much beautiful sound can be reserved for one person's human throat. Unfair. That much voice, that much power could have outfitted an entire midwestern glee club. I must say again; TOTALLY unfair. So overall, my thoughts on The Color Purple: It. Was. AWESOME.

Cabin Fever Outing

I had an attack of cabin fever late today, so I took off to the boonies to see what was flying & what was blooming. There wasn't much rain this past winter so there aren't too many wildflowers, but who knows, maybe it's just a little early for much to be out.
There were a few spots with deep blue lupines - that only photograph pale due to lighting late in the day.

Blue Lupines

Farther down Michigan Bar it is beautifully idylic - there's a tiny one lane bridge that seems dicey to drive over but its safe. It was amazing to see so much water beneath the bridge - as long as I've known this spot, there is never more than a few inches of water and loads of gravel bars. Tonight though, it was practially a raging river.

View by the bridge on Michigan Bar Road

But the water wasn't the highlight for me - of course my highlights had wings. There were loads of small sparrows - Golden Crowned Sparrows, Lark Sparrows and more impressive for me, were Lawrence's Goldfinches. I haven't seen a Lawrence's Goldfinches since the 70s! Shoot. Now I know were to find them.

Yes, I'm impressive!
"Thank youverymuch..."
Can't get used to the beauty that is Lark Sparrows

Having my fill of Michigan Bar Road, I headed over to Meiss Road, hoping for an early Nighthawk, or an owl. I found neither species but did find some very pretty fields and some very nosy cows. The cows looked adrift in their meadows full of popcorn flowers.

Pastel skies over B&W cows

Dead center, a thunder cloud tries to form, but is overcome by pink and pretty
The Moon over Meiss

Meiss Road was a challege to drive over and it can't be done without four wheel drive just now - there are puddles and ponds to drive over to make one's way over to Ione Road. I didn't mean to drive back over it, but hell - it was fun, so I headed right back where I came from.

No owls or nighthawks, but the last bird of
the day was a cheery litttle Loggerhead Shrike
[Management is oh so frustrated - the blogger host has changed every detail required to post and while most of the improvements are just that, there is also - alas - just enough bugs to give one a major headache. Please bare with us while irrational spaces and such are dealt with - eventually.]

Unrequested Egg Report

I know I do not own the only chickens on the planet, and I know they're only hens, but damn it is fun going outside each day and finding the day's yummy output. It is even more fun having eggs to share with friends & acquaintances.

My Black Copper Marans, Godiva and Dove who lay chocolate colored eggs

My Marans are interesting. Godiva and Dove's eggs are darker than when they first began to lay, but I now doubt they'll ever get as dark as their breed is famed for. One of my Marans lays medium sized dark eggs, but the other Maran specialized herself in the laying of large, fat, ROUND eggs; darkly speckled. The dark speckles are the color the entire egg should be if they were laying 'true' to breed. Oh well! Getting speckled eggs makes me feel like I'm collecting eggs from wild jungle fowl.

Lovely fat, round, chocolate speckled egg

So this is what a dozen of my hen's eggs look like. On the far left are Lucy, the wild Americana hen's, turquoise eggs. Lucy's eggs are the largest of the flock. The medium chocolate colored eggs - 6 of them - are from my pair of Marans. The remaining four pinkish beige eggs are from my dainty Faverolles hens, Adele and Babette.

Chez Claire Eggie Ensemblé

Do you have a strong stomach? If not, you're done reading. Really. Stop.

A couple of days ago, one of my Marans produced an amazingly scary egg. At first I thought the egg was dotted with insect eggs on it, but research revealed the tiny pimples were just calcium beads. Happily, the little beads easily scraped off the egg. Thank heavens! The dots really grossed me out although they are only the result of over production of calcium. My over productive feathered darlings! Oh yeah... I love my adorable, fractious chickies!

GAK! A truly scary looking egg, but easily scraped of offending calcium nodules