I was up at the usual time when I have plans to go to the 7:30 am class at Bikram. I saw the first signs of spring this morning on my walk with Elsa. I saw a wild hen and rooster herding their clutch of 6 chicks.
On my block, the wild animals are chickens, pheasants, turkeys, pigs, and cats. I don't get to see the pigs often, but my neighbors hear them at night. Most of these animals started out as domestic. They were released into the wild when people moved and abandoned them. If you want to see wild chickens galore, Kauai is the island to go to. That island got hit by a hurricane, and all the chicken coops were ripped apart, releasing I don't know how many.
These domestic chickens started out as yellow or whitish or maybe brown. Without the interference of humans, they have changed their plumage. Surprise! They have the most magnificent colors. See the link below.
https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=kuai+chickens&fr=aaplw&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.huffingtonpost.com%2Fasset%2F55f214061700009a01569ec0.jpeg%3Fcache%3Dvl6fpkwghu%26ops%3Dscalefit_720_noupscale#id=0&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.huffingtonpost.com%2Fasset%2F55f214061700009a01569ec0.jpeg%3Fcache%3Dvl6fpkwghu%26ops%3Dscalefit_720_noupscale&action=click
The residents of Kauai are not so excited about these wild chickens. A friend of mine who lives there says, "Visitors swerve to avoid hitting chickens; residents aim for them." In every clutch, there are boy chickens as well as girls. Those boy chickens grow up to be roosters. Anyone who thinks that roosters only crow at dawn hasn't been around roosters. They crow any time: in the middle of the night, in the middle of the day, and sometimes continuously.
A friend of mine who lives in a somewhat rural area is looking for someone to kill the roosters on her property. She thinks her neighbor was raising roosters for fighting and released them. She isn't getting any sleep. I have a friend that will go out with his grandson and clear her property of this nuisance and believe me, it is a nuisance.
While I was walking, I discovered I was creating more space between my pelvic bone and my left hip. This isn't what is usually considered a hip opener. My left side is contracted and, therefore, the muscles cramped because of my spinal curvature. As I correct it, other parts of my body open up.
I found a second sign of spring when I got home; some of my coconut oil was liquified.
During the winter months, the oil is always solid. During the summer months, the oil is completely liquid. Here we don't have melting snow to tell us spring has arrived. We're dependent on coconut oil to give us the news.
In the Bikram class, JJ recommended a modification for me in one of the postures. What he suggested is leading to a greater stretch in my arms and upper back. I can't wait to have more individualized instruction with this man. He's a teacher after my own heart.
When I left for Bikram this morning, I was organized to go to the bank to try and deposit some checks that had been sent to Mike after he died. I wanted to deposit it into my Raymond James accounts, but they sent them back because Mike's accounts had been frozen already. When I got out of Bikram, I realized it was Good Friday. The bank was probably closed. I also was going to send a death certificate to Target, so Mike's credit card there would be shut down. I had tried the other day, but the number I had didn't work. I was going to call Target yesterday to check on the fax number, but I forgot.
I stopped off at Island Naturals for pumpkin seeds, my new protein source in salads, and a gallon of Dr. Bronner's Rose soap. I should be good for another year now.
When I got home, the first thing I did was search for the Chase Freedom card I got yesterday and misplaced. I know I opened the mail while sitting on the sofa in the library. I looked in all the cracks and crevices of the sofa, nothing. I looked on the floor, nothing. When I came home, I looked on the dining room table, the coffee tables in the living room, and finally, my wallet. Nothing. I didn't remember moving it out of the library, but who knows. I went back into the library and looked on the floor in front of the sofa while standing. There it was. Was it really there all along or was it just playing a game with me and hiding, and only now reappeared. Whatever. I found it.
I showered, did MELT, and the Tiger Stick and washed my Bikram stuff. Then I sat down and binged on FreeCell. That's all I want to do now. I forced myself to do some work on the blog.
I called Target. I had the right fax number. A weird one. I asked for the hard mail address, and with the cost of an envelope and a stamp, I had dispatched my duty. So much easier. I don't know what made me feel I had to fax everything.
I noticed that Elsa no longer sits on the spot on the rug with a clear view of the front door. She seems to know that Mike is not coming home anymore. I don't know if she is sad. Sometimes, I think so. But she seems to have transferred her affections to me, which is better for both of us given the situation.
Elsa and I did our evening walk. I ate dinner in front of the TV and cataloged books. I walked Elsa, washed my face, brushed my teeth, went to bed, and then said, "Goodnight, Elsa. Goodnight, Mike."
