08/24/2026
If you’re new to meeting me, or don’t actually know me personally, you may not know that I grew up in the country, in a very small town in Northern California, right in the middle of ag country. (I earned my right to perpetually talk like a Valley girl.)
Part of girlhood for me was being outside, making potions, looking for cool rocks, spotting wild animals, and generally finding ways to entertain myself in the dirt. Some of my first jobs were caring for neighborhood animals when neighbors were out of town. I literally used to walk past cow pastures to go feed my neighbors’ chickens.
You get a little accustomed to the circle of life when you grow up around animals. But getting to see that through my kids’ eyes, who are basically very comfortable city kids, has been really heartening.
Today they made tiny potions out of things they found outside to dedicate to the chickens, and even made a little gravestone for the hen we buried.
During the hottest weeks of summer, it’s not unusual to lose a chicken or two, and unfortunately it happened to us this year. My guess is that our broody Barred Rock didn’t want to leave her nesting box and became dehydrated and overheated. The rest of the flock is happy, healthy, and doing just fine.
It’s always hard to lost a pet, but it’s a part of farm life, even on an “urban farm.” But watching my girls learn to love, care for, and say goodbye to animals is one of the sweetest parts of it. Girlhood can be such a universal experience. 💕
-Marisol
