Posted on by Dad4Gracie · 11 Comments

Gracie And Friends…Scratch And Peck Card Game!

Scratch And Peck! Card Game

Happy Saturday, everyone! We are so happy to be able to share this new game with you. My chickens and I tested this card game out for weeks and weeks! It’s great to finally be able to share it with you!

In our new “Scratch And Peck!” card game, two chickens are scratching and pecking to collect the most points for Wiggly Worms, Big Weird Bugs, and Grumpy Grubs. The winner is the one with the most points. Just like in a real backyard garden, choosing where to scratch and what to peck is very important. Along the way, they will find lots of things which they will not want to eat at all. They will also want to avoid Rusty Nails which are very dangerous and keep them from collecting anything!

This is our most ambitious game so far, and the game booklet has seventeen pages! This is not a complicated game, but because it is different from any other card game you have probably ever played, we have included plenty of illustrations to help explain some of the rules, particularly those about Rusty Nails! (Rusty Nails are not good for chickens or people!)

Even though the game booklet has a lot of pages, only the three with cards to cut out truly need to be printed. (There is an extra page that can serve as a playing board, but that is optional for printing. For my chickens, the playing board just helps to keep things sort of organized. They do get very excited and cards can get mixed up unintentionally!)

Hopefully you will find that “Scratch And Peck!” has just the right mix of strategy and luck to make it interesting and fun for anyone!

So moms, dads, kids, teachers, good dogs, good cats, and all chickens, we hope you will print, read, play, and have fun!

Click Here To Visit “Gracie And Friends” Where You Can Download Your Own Copy Of Our New “Scratch and Peck!” Card Game

Each post shares a glimpse into my journey as a writer and illustrator. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is truly appreciated!

Please feel free to share with others, particularly those with children…or chickens! Maybe “Gracie And Friends” can help some people through COVID-19 by providing things to do and a big dose of happiness.

We are currently working on a new card game that we will probably call “Uncle Eddie’s Worm Farm!” Watch for it!

Posted on by Dad4Gracie · 9 Comments

Family Photo Friday…My Bold Brave Amelia!

Family Photo Friday

Today’s photo is of my Amelia who is beginning to molt. You can tell by the pair of longest tail feathers that are still left and sticking straight up like an awkward flag to say, “It’s me, your bold brave Amelia!”

She has come a long way in her comfort level with molting. Her first time was extremely embarrassing. She didn’t want anyone to see her. This may have partly been because she didn’t want anyone pecking at her bare places, but it may also been she didn’t want me to see them. She knows how much I enjoy admiring her black and white patterned feathers.

I was reminded of a story and illustration I had shared the first time Amelia molted. It is titled “Feeling Vulnerable” and you can click the title to go to that page if you’d like. The lesson Amelia and I both learned that first molting season was this: “When we are feeling vulnerable, it’s probably because we are growing to meet new challenges.”

That was almost two years ago. Back then, I was trying my best to post at least three stories and illustrations a week. But as you can tell, I’ve slowed down a bit since then. Along with “Feeling Vulnerable,” there was also “While We Sleep” and “About Becoming.”

I read those three stories again this morning because they feel quite appropriate for this current year and season. Many of us are feeling vulnerable right now. There is a lot going on and a lot to process in our hearts and minds. That processing takes time. It is uncertain what we are becoming, but like Amelia, I am hopeful for what we shall become.

Amelia is no longer embarrassed by molting and change, as you can see from her photo today. (She actually posed for this.) When I get home from work this evening, those last two big tail feathers will likely be gone, but she will be eager for her new tail feathers to begin growing. They will help her fly to unimaginable places, and that is something to be excited about.

Thank you, Amelia. Let’s all be hopeful for what we shall become.

Each post shares a glimpse into my journey as a writer and illustrator. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is truly appreciated! 

Posted on by Dad4Gracie · 18 Comments

Family Photo Friday…Unexpected Discoveries

Family Photo Friday

You may need to look a bit closer than usual, but Gracie and Bessie really are in this photo. Well, not all of them, just their feathers!

This bird nest, perhaps a robin’s nest, was on the ground after a recent day of strong wind. When I picked it up and examined it, I was surprised to see soft feathers from Gracie and Bessie woven into the nest.

With no rooster around, they would never be using their own warm downy feathers to protect and comfort baby chicks. Yet they were still able to help another bird’s family.

Giving. It’s just what they do, including feathers for wild birds to use when they are building their nests.

Do any of us really know how far the gifts we give may travel or whose lives will be touched?

Each post shares a glimpse into my journey as a writer and illustrator. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is truly appreciated!