First on the list: Move the 50-pound bag of millet from my vehicle to the garbage can I use as a container for birdseed. I read an article that deemed our feathered friends would really enjoy millet mixed with the sunflower seeds. Although I learn from these articles, this is one case where a warning for the inept (myself) might have been appreciated. Such as “Handle Millet Bag Carefully” or “Under no Circumstances Should You Drop the Bag of Millet.” When I bought the millet at the Farm Bureau Posey Co-op, a gentleman loaded it into the back of my truck. Once upon a time, 50 pounds was no problem. However, when I lifted the double-layered paper bag of millet from the tailgate, it wrestled me. Before I could grab it securely, the bag slipped out of my arms and landed on a sharp corner. Now if you know anything about millet, you know that it is a type of grain whose tiny seed is a millimeter in diameter and as round as a marble—pearl millet. This grain grew wild in what is now Sudan more than 4000 years ago. When humans began farming it, seeds found their way to other parts of the world—Egypt by 3000 B.C. and India 2500 B.C. Finally in 2008 A.D. it found its way to my garage. As the bag hit the sharp edge of the tailgate, a lovely cascade of golden millet poured out onto the floor from the rip. When the bag finally (and this all seemed to be happening in slow motion) impacted on the floor, an explosion of what remained of the bag sent millet flying to the far reaches of the universe, no doubt seeding other planets. Maybe I exaggerate a little. But, I did have to move my vehicle out of the garage to have access to the escaping millet.
It wasn’t going to get away from me. I began sweeping the millet into a neat pile. Actually, a number of neat piles. Then I used a plastic container and tried to scoop it up which only made the neat pile spread out again. So I tried sweeping the millet into a flat edged shovel. That worked fairly well until I tipped the shovel into the newly designated millet bag. Most of the millet ran down the outside of the bag. I’ve read that fermented millet makes great beer. Maybe the birds don’t need millet. Those heretofore accomplishment visions of my “to-do” list were becoming blurry. Okay. Don’t think about the time this is taking. Just do it. Little by little the millet piles began to disappear. Until I moved a box and found another few thousand millet seeds hiding. Would this never end? Were birds worth it? I popped one of those errant millet seeds in my mouth. Crunchy and tasteless. I finally finished corralling the millet. Or, one might say, “I quit!” If you drive by sometime and see a light in the garage, I may be out there chasing millet seeds. Just don’t tell anyone. There is a blessing in this story. Thank the good Lord that millet is not the size of ball bearings! Genesis 27:28 “May God give you of heaven’s dew and of Earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine.” [email protected] ©Ann Rains–April, 2020
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