Chicken Poop Again

Way back in June 2008 I wrote a post called Chicken Poop. I came across it today while fixing a bunch of blog posts (which involves a long, chicken-poop-type story that we won't get into) and wanted to share it with you. I'd love to hear how YOU deal with chicken poop!!

So here's Chicken Poop again:

I love wandering around The Morris Arboretum.

We were there a little over a week ago soaking up the beauty of Spring colors and blooms.

As we strolled along from favorite place to favorite place Little Princess told me: "I love these enormous chickens, but I hate walking in their poop!"

The enormous chickens are actually ducks and geese, but Little Princess' fowl-naming difficulty isn't my point - I'm here to talk about the poop.

I don't like walking through poop either. Duck poop at the arboretum is pretty unavoidable. Shoes can be washed off - not that big of a deal. What I get frustrated with is emotional poop.

Why is it that emotional poop is also unavoidable? You can be walking along the most beautiful paths, soaking in everything wonderful and splat you've stepped in ickystinkysadmadglumblah poop.

And puleeze, do not scold me with fairy tales about the life lived totally poopless! YOUR feet touch the ground too (don't make me knock you down - then you'd be sitting in poop - and that's REALLY disgusting - grin).

Here's what we did at the arboretum: Sometimes I'd hoist Little Princess up onto my shoulder and she'd squeal and we'd both laugh and she got to keep her feet poop-free.

Other times we'd just trudge through the poop together. Sometimes she went her way and I went mine - and one or both of us ambled through poop. And sometimes we'd be able to walk around the poop - although that was rare, because - well, because that's the way it is.

My inspirational thought for the day is: There's poop underfoot - the question "Why?" is moot. Even when we're in places of great beauty (literally and metaphorically) - there's poop around somewhere...

And it's great to avoid stepping in poop - when we can.

It's great to travel with a playful, squealing friend. Great to either hoist someone or be hoisted over the poop occasionally. And also - it's just fine to traipse through the poop. Life goes on. Isn't it a trip to look around and enjoy the beauty even if you're standing in poop!

Comments

[Fear of Writing]

I loved this to pieces! Great delivery of life truths with so much humor it went down easy. I laughed out loud when I got to

“And puleeze, do not scold me with fairy tales about the life lived totally poopless!”

My poop doesn't feel so bad right now (but ask me again next week - LOL) so I'm just gonna stand here on top of my pile—like playing King of the Mountain, only it's poop not snow—and treasure this post. Including the gorgeous photos. What a great place to go for a walk with your princess.

~ Milli

P.S. Just a few days ago I baked a cake, which had not happened around here in a long time so I was excited. It was a Hodgson Mills organic whole wheat gingerbread cake, so very dark-looking. I cut a slice for my husband and put whipped cream on the side. I asked him to take a photo and he said, "What is this - poopie with whipped cream?" I about died laughing. In the photo, it really did look like a wedge of poopie with whipped cream. Good thing it tasted yummier than it looked!

[catherine]

This is precious! I wish I had thought of it!

Life's poop is so less annoying to me than it used to be. I guess that's what can happen when you get some years under your belt and finally realize that poop happens but that poop also gets flushed down the toilet and if you are lucky you can't even remember it anymore.

Whenever I go down the street to our library and fail to sit in the sun on the grass by the pond because the Canadian geese have preceded me there I will think of you and Little Princess.

"Life goes on. Isn't it a trip to look around and enjoy the beauty even if you're standing in poop!" Wonderful philosophy...

[Square-Peg Karen]

Thanks so much, Milli!

Hey - King of Poop Mountain - I like that!

And I'm giggling about poop and whipped cream -what a combination that sounds!! But whipped cream and an organic whole wheat gingerbread-no poop there-sounds delicious!

Isn't the internet wonderful? I can't remember the progression (where was I? which link?) but I know that I started following Fear of Writing on Twitter just today -- and here we are talking poopie (is that instant intimacy - lol?) - gotta love it.

[Square-Peg Karen]

Catherine, I HEAR you!

I needed to get some years under my belt, too - before I got used to the poop. Somehow I always felt like if I did things differently (read: "better") it'd disappear.

I'm smiling at what you said: "if you are lucky you can't even remember it anymore" - never thought of it that way. I think I'm very lucky - my brain's sometimes like a colander - grin.

Thanks for visiting (and for your lovely comment) - hope to see you again!!

[Fear of Writing]

Instant intimacy, bonding over poopie. LOL!

I don't always remember the progression either, but this time I do. I commented on Giulietta the Muse's wonderful post and you came after me. You dittoed something I said so I sensed a new blog friend in the making. As soon as I saw the name of your blog, the gorgeous teacup in your blog header, and your smiling face - and CHICKEN POOP! - I knew I'd found a very cool place to hang out.

[Square-Peg Karen]

Ah, Milli - this touches my heart! And makes me laugh at the same time-- you knew you'd found a cool place to hang out when you saw chicken poop -hahahaha. Love it!

Thanks for sharing the progression (and for your touching words) - I love seeing this stuff (which can be tricky when it goes fast and I forget how it went) - the flow and bonding available thru the internet - so cool!