Birthday Cowboy “Smilin’ Nyel” circa 1948

Last year’s theme song (or, more accurately, earworm) on this date was “76 Trombones dah dah dah, dah dah!”  This year it’s the theme song from “77 Sunset Strip!”  I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who hears it.  Nyel, as always, is a bit indifferent to his birthday.

And then, of course,  there’s the traditional “Happy Birthday to Farmer Nyel” song which I sang down at the coop with the very strong suggestion (more of a demand, actually) that the girls lay eggs for the boss’s birthday.  They appeared to be listening, so we’ll see if they really got the message.

Birthday Boy (with attitude?) circa 1949

For whatever reason, they are on strike again.  No eggs for about two weeks now.  These particular hens have been gold-bricking more than they’ve been working for most of their lives.  We keep trying to find out what their problem is.  Personally, I think they just have it too easy.  All they have to do is…

Come to think of it, they don’t really “have to” do anything at all.  Like certain people who crop up now and then, these four girls seem to take advantage of that situation.  No work ethic at all.  We’ll see later today if they have any appreciative, indebted, or beholden genes anywhere in their DNA.  I’ve tried to tell them (over and over) that if it weren’t for Farmer Nyel’s intervention, they could well have been in the stew pot long ago.  I’m not sure they’ve listened.

Other birthday plans include an outdoors, socially distanced visit by two friends from Astoria.  Later, at the moment of the birthday boy’s choosing, there will be the opening of the presents which have been mysteriosly gathering on the Morris Chair in the library.

Meanwhile… Happy Birthday, Nyel!  And many more!