2019 - Day 124/241 - Saturday...Homily...

This could have been (and still could be) the first dead chick of the new group of chicks. As of today, all the chicks are at least five weeks old, some of them are closer to six weeks old. We have had them all for five weeks. One of the chicks (see picture) was somehow wedged between two two by fours in the coop. When I saw it, I did not know it was wedged in, I thought it was dead. When I went to gather it up, it decided to squawk, and when I tried to un-stick it, I couldn't. I ended up getting a pry bar and got enough leverage on the 2x4s that I was able to pull it out. She was weak and unsteady, but I got her to drink some water, and when I left the pen, she was eating. Chickens are really pretty good at bouncing back from adversity. We had a dog chase one and pretty well pluck it, and when we found her, we brought her back and she made a pretty good recovery. I really expect this chick will recover, and I just hope she does not try getting between those 2x4s again. The rains stopped overnight, and we got a total of 5.4" in the last three days. Today was really pretty, and tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same, and the rains are supposed to start up again on Monday.

Homily -- Noun. 1. a usually short sermon. 2. a lecture or discourse on a moral theme. 3. an inspirational catchphrase. also: platitude. The pastor was renowned for his ability to deliver stirring, insightful homilies.

Did You Know? Gather around for the history of homily. The story starts with the ancient Greek homilos, meaning "crowd" or "assembly." Greeks used homilos to create the verb homilein ("to consort with" or "to address"), as well as the noun homilia ("conversation"). Latin speakers borrowed homilia, then passed it on to the Anglo-French. By the time it crossed into Middle English, the spelling had shifted to omelie, but by the mid-16th century the term had regained its h and the y of the modern spelling was added.