Tag: chickens

The Snapping of Beaks

So here’s another one of my favorite things. I’ve enjoyed owning chickens for many years, and while there are several things to enjoy about them, one of my favorites is the sound of their beaks as they crop grass. Just that slight click-clicking sound, or snap-snapping sound as a flock of birds eagerly grasp at the juicy green blade of grass and snap it off. Now, it has to be fairly quiet for you to hear this, but I enjoy it when I do manage to pick it up.

Speaking of hearing beaks click, a few years ago I had a hummingbird that got quite brave and friendly while I was out and about. He’d buzz past me then hover close, giving me a once over before zooming off. One time, there were quite a few tiny gnats hovering around in a cloud near my head, and this hummer came up and ate one. I heard, and saw, his tiny beak open and snap shut. It was a very tiny snap indeed; and I thought to myself: “My goodness, a person has to be in the right place at the right time to hear the minuscule snap of a hummingbird’s beak!”

Here’s my fourth book in the Catalyst Series

Two Girls for Two Cowboys, available in Kindle for $0.99 or paperback for $6.99, and Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Catrina attempts a double match-up at the same location, the Double Z Dude Ranch, where she vacationed for a week. Finding someone for timid Eliot and also for his father, Ed, will be a challenge but she’s up for it. The ranch needs a new cook, and Catrina suggests her aunt Eloise, who is single, and the same age as Ed. Adrian’s sister, Emily, needs a new job, so Catrina mentions her name, also.

Eliot is instantly smitten with the sweet and unassuming Emily when they accidentally collide in a darkened hallway. Ed was smitten with Eloise even before he met her, practically falling in love with her voice over the phone. 

Ed pursues Eloise in typical fashion, discovering they have plenty in common after they are chased into a pond at midnight by a feral hog. Eliot admires Emily from afar, but his quiet and gentle manner quickly captivates her heart and they finally realize their love for each other while dancing in the chicken coop.

Fun Facts: Book 4

I don’t know if anyone noticed this or not, but the chapters are created according to ‘ladies first,’ as well as ‘age has its privileges.’ So, we hear from Eloise first, then Emily, then we go to Ed, and then Eliot. This pattern repeats itself until the end of the story.

Did you notice on the cover that there are two prickly pear pads that are heart-shaped? Yep, I did that on purpose. They actually grow like that sometimes. It’s kinda cool. Please overlook the fact that it appears the prickly pear plant is growing out of the cowboy hat. Perhaps my artistic abilities will improve as the series progresses. We can hope.

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