Meet Jumper. A recent addition to our neighborhood, this chick lives up to her name.

Meet Miles. He tends to Jumper and her two companions with care, dedication and an abundance of tenderness.

There are numerous chickens around the area, despite the constant lurking of hungry coyotes. Some are in coops all day, some are let loose under close supervision, and some are supper.

I cherish the noises, particularly those of the occasional rooster – officially prohibited to be kept in residential neighborhoods for exactly that reason, noise – because it reminds me of my childhood.

I cherish the sight, because there is something marvelous about the dedicated business of chickens pecking away at anything they can find. Singular focus on the business at hand – survival! – is a welcome model to this here worrier of mythic proportions.

I cherish the idea of children growing up with animals that are not just cuddly pets to be toyed with, but require real responsibilities and commitments. Miles is certainly doing his share of feeding, watering, supervising and endlessly cleaning the boxes before the final coop is built by him and his Dad.

The chicks are surely attached to him, or his sun-warmed rubber boots, which provide perfect resting places.

I was reminded of old science on imprinting of avians, and found this clip from 1975 (!) about the research of Konrad Lorenz and associates here, little goslings following their human foster parents unperturbed. A sight to be seen.

*

Chicks become chickens, chicken lay eggs, and what better use of those than being whisked into batter. Batter to make pies, to be precise, although I believe they are then called crusts? English can be so confounding.

I wonder if the German baker of pies, Karin Pfeiff-Boscheck, encounters the same problems with technical terms, or, for that matter, recalculating German measurements into American ones. Ounces vs grams, anyone? Conversion of oven temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit?

She has certainly surmounted any obstacle to come up with these marvelous creations – in fact artful ones, high brow art connoisseur- eye rolling be damned. She is also generously sharing her knowledge – here is her book that helps even kitchen-phobic people like me to approach baking. I first learned about it here.

Her background in design is obvious; I just wonder how it would feel to cut into these little art works when you are ready to eat, but not ready to destroy the pattern.

Sweetness and beauty, on all fronts, as I said. How is that for ending the week?

Music a bit on the saccharine end of the spectrum, but a fitting companion to the baked goods. The Schlagober (whipped cream) Suite by Strauss was also performed as a ballet by ABT – here are extracts.

Hope there is pie in your weekend!