Author Adrienne Morris

The Writing Life at Middlemay Farm

“People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.” ― Peter F. Drucker

“Broadly speaking, as good as it feels to have a plan, it’s even more freeing to realize that nearly no misstep can destroy you. This gives you the courage to improvise and experiment.” Tim Ferriss

Did you know about purple chickens? I didn’t until recently. I visualized having one. The very next day an ad for lavender Orpington roosters appeared on Craigslist.

“Wait. Why do we need a rooster again?” my husband asked, remembering when I was stabbed through the ankle by an evil rooster. “I had to carry you to the barn to milk the goats the next morning, remember?”

“Well. It’s purple.” A very logical reply from me I thought. Similar to my reply when asked why we needed call ducks — “they’re cute.”

I promptly named our lavender rooster Rhett Butler. So far he’s affectionate. He climbs on my shoulder and rubs his purple head against my cheek. Too adorable, really.

Lately I’ve been a little lost because I finished writing an emotional roller-coaster of a SIX BOOK SERIES. I decided to give myself time off. I started feeling a vague sense of unease about time off. My mind looked for things to be fearful about. It was officially time to get a purple rooster.

The lady getting rid of the rooster gave me the wrong address. The address didn’t actually exist but we found a house with chickens in the front yard. The lady said to just go around back when we got there. A couple sat in an open field a ways off as we walked through a magical secret garden with tamed turkeys and chickens squawking and fluttering about. The look on the couple’s faces as we called out to them immediately told us we were at the wrong place.

After their initial shock they graciously gave us a tour of their shady gardens overflowing with woodland ferns and pockets of sun-drenched bee balm along tamped down dirt paths. Their pet La Mancha goats begged to have their chins rubbed. This secret garden made getting lost so worth it.

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Eventually we found the real chicken seller at her fixer-upper farm. She waved from the roadside with her husband beside her. They were an older couple but just starting their farm dream and had big plans. Their enthusiasm for life was infectious. Their enthusiasm for their many hens and roosters was adorable. In one night of seeking a purple chicken my faith in humanity was heightened. Rhett Butler will always remind me of the surprises that come with allowing for little adventures.

Solid plans and a long waits can be good things, but I’ve found that waiting until you’re ready to live your dream isn’t as much fun as just doing it.

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23 responses to ““People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.” ― Peter F. Drucker”

    • Exactly! Always some new thing to get excited about. It seems they’re very trendy just now so hopefully I’ll be able to get some lavender hens. My husband pretends to think I’m insane but then he builds luxurious houses for our ducks and chickens. 🙂

      Hope all is well with you, Cricket!

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  5. Loved the tale of your chicken hunt and think having a purple rooster does self justify. Also enjoyed the Ferris quote — but would like to add that one can, I think, do booth — plan and fly. When I bailed out on the corporate world to pursue my dream of writing, I had a plan — and had saved enough money for at least the first stages of the plan — but I think quitting a good job with a good company and going to Australia for six months definitely required that sense of no misstep could destroy me. (Only mentioning this to underscore, for those who might wonder, that it is okay to put on the parachute before jumping.)

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    • I agree totally! Taking a risk like you did requires great courage but why not have a parachute if you can!

      The great thing about little risks like hunting for lavender roosters is that you get the joy of an exciting evening without the real worry of a big new undertaking.

      Not everyday can we really throw caution to the wind but we can more regularly put ourselves a little out of our comfort zones. Sometimes that’s all it takes to brighten our lives and that of others 😉

      Thank you for the encouragement in your words. We all need that too!

      A

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  6. A lavender chicken and a wild goose chase, a gracious couple in a secret garden and a quirky couple in love with life, a lesson about plans and a lesson about surprises – what better way could you have spent your day? Rhett Butler, the lavender rooster, seems a cheeky kind of guy, not much different from his namesake, the other rooster.

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    • It seems like I’ve been reading Gone With The Wind forever now–I’m such a slow reader and it’s so good I’m just soaking in all the amazing details and relationships that fell flat for me in the movie.

      Rhett the rooster is already showing signs of cheekiness while also being a little flirt. Sometimes he likes to be held and adored yet other times he runs off and won’t let me catch him. I’m now looking for a few lavender hens for his harem. (our little white call ducks follow Rhett around like he’s a god).

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  7. What a great story, Adrienne! I love the purple rooster and his name seems to fit him even though I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him. 🙂 There’s nothing like adventures, enthusiasm for life, and reaching for those dreams. I’ve always dreamed of living on a ranch with room for lots of animals and dogs, dogs, and a few more dogs. But that was a dream when our children were little. Now, they’re older and we’re planning for retirement and living in something smaller, less maintenance. 🙂 It’s okay to shift dreams, too. I enjoyed this very much. Lauren 🌻

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    • Hi Lauren,

      So glad you enjoyed Rhett’s story! Yes, I’m completely open to changing dreams. We used to have goats and I dreamed of making great cheese. LOL. Epic fail — but it certainly was interesting. As our kids are older now too we question which parts of country life excite us. The notion of homesteading in the sense of being self-sufficient is thankfully over. There’s only so much you can do. I love my animals but you never know what opportunities come next so for now I just try to enjoy each day. Chickens and roosters are pretty portable too so they induce the least anxiety when thinking about risks and change.

      Thanks so much for adding to the conversation. I’m curious…what are your dreams now?

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      • Just so you know, I love goat cheese! 🙂 Chickens and roosters wouldn’t last with our chocolate lab right now, either. Although they might all play together nicely once they all calmed down. lol As to my dreams now? Well, personally, I have some writing dreams that I’m currently pursuing, so we shall see. But unselfishly, other dreams are more like prayers or wishes for my son and daughter to be happy, content, and healthy as they move forward in their adulting. There’s more to their stories, so this is the bottom line. Also, I hope that my hubby and I can retire in the next 3-5 years and maybe move somewhere else where it’s not so expensive and crowded. I dream about less traffic. 🙂 That’s it, not too exciting, but this is all that matters to me right now. Thanks for asking and enjoy your evening! ❤

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  8. My most recent batch of chicks included two “sapphire gems” who have such dove-soft gray feathers. I think over time they will take on more blue tones. I love to look at them. One of the batch appears to have become a rooster and I believe I heard him try to crow yesterday. They all scatter when I come close, so I couldn’t call any of them tame.

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About
My aim is to keep you turning pages well past bedtime with historical family sagas. Complex characters are my thing. I want to draw you into the lives of people you will love, hate and cry over. My goal is for history to come alive for you whether it be in a Civil War field hospital, an experimental Utopian society or in the dark-paneled rooms of Gilded Age socialites. If you like Gone with the Wind, Cold Mountain and Age of Innocence you may enjoy The Tenafly Road Series.
When not writing novels, you can find me knee-deep in farm muck.
 

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