"We're Off in a Gale of Hen Manure!"

That is a pretty weird title, I know, so let me give you some background. My dad was a quiet, gentle man, but once-in-a-while, he would come up with a hilarious remark. He loved to travel, so we were always going on a vacation somewhere. After we packed our suitcases, loaded the car, and after the kids jumped into the back seat, and he and Mom settled in the front, he would start up the old Ford. The engine would roar, he would exclaim, "We're off in a gale of hen manure!"...and off we would go.

Explanation: When he was a kid there were no garages, but plenty of barns, hen houses, and stables. So when a family invested in a car, and wanted to keep it out of the weather, they had to park it in one of those spaces. Often the hen house was chosen, and the car was backed in. Then, when the old fliver was cranked up, the car's exhaust along with the nervous, squawking, flapping chickens would cause a whirl wind of feathers, sawdust and chicken droppings. Thus the saying, "We're off in a gale of hen manure!"

The year 2008 has come to an end, and 2009 is here, and we're off! I am sure it will be an interesting ride. Hopefully, it will be a year of learning, progressing, bettering ourselves, and a year with no regrets. I have decided that on this ride I will do a better job of keeping up my blog. My children have all put me to shame with their blogs, so I decided it is time to step up and do my best. So let's see what this new year brings. Here we go! Enjoy the ride!

Like my Dad used to say:
...We're off in a gale of hen manure!