Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Trade winds back again...

which means more rain, but in more normal amounts.  It also meant, today, a wonderful rainbow.  I snapped a picture on my not-so-good camera phone.  This is on the highway in Panaewa on the way to Hilo.   It actually was a full rainbow, but I couldn't get it all!  Just after I took this, a little flock of cattle egret flew by - they shine white in the sun against the gray clouds and are one of my favorite sights.  Where I grew up on O'ahu, you could see them against the gray clouds and the dark green Ko'olau mountains: very beautiful.

I hope today goes as well at school as yesterday did!  I had such a marvelous day with the students I was most dismayed to see in my classes (in the particular combinations they were in - great kids one on one, rather unruly when in a small room together).  Apparently, some of my misplaced younger kids in British Lit were suffering under the lash of Ivanhoe last night (FB is wonderful for assessing the mood of students - I never add them, but will let them add me with the warning that I WILL remind them about homework - publicly).  This really should be a senior class, but our school is so small with so few teachers, kids are sometimes placed where there is an open space, and that means they have to suffer a bit.  I will have mercy and show them sparknotes.com today.

I am watching my flock very carefully, since the one hen died.  Everyone seems healthy, except for a drastic drop in egg production.  This might be because it has been very dark and rainy, and at least one of them is moulting - I hope that is it.

I taught my border collie (and? - mystery dog) to jump in the back of the car.  The shepherd mix thought she would try it, too.  It isn't nearly so cute when a 70 lb dog does it as it is when a 30 lb dog does.  She agreed, and jumped right out.  Maybe she remembers the last time she had to go in the car, when our neighbor shot her.

Have a lovely day, everyone!

2 comments:

Chai Chai said...

Your diagnosis of the drop in egg production is right on, less sunlight equals less eggs.

Ivanhoe is one of my favorite books, the sacrifice at the end always gives me chills and brings on tears.

NancyDe said...

I figure the kids will come around after they get used to the style and the slower pace of the older books.

I used Ivanhoe in my MA thesis - have a great fondness for the book, myself.

Miss my eggs though. They are still getting almost 12 hours of daylight, but I guess it has actually been fairly dark all due to rain for the last week.