It is no secret to my closest friends that I am not much of a conversationalist. Perhaps I am a reaction to a mother who loved conversation and ranked it right up there with other forms of expression that she revered: theater and art. Ironically, so long as I can stay awake, and no matter how vibrant any conversation might be, my preference has always been for listening.

This essay will appear one day after my father’s birthday. I do not have much that is concrete to hang on to since he died when I was two and a half, sixty-three years ago.

All too often we mire ourselves in unnecessary arguments and debates. There is of course a certain intellectual enjoyment that comes with that particular territory. I admit that there are times when I delight in arguing in defense of an opposing viewpoint just for the pleasure of the game.

I have discovered that chickens do quite a bit more than drop eggs. They have other virtues as well. I suspect for those who have raised chickens the novelty has worn off a bit. But for me the experience is new enough that every day seems to present us with interesting occurrences.

Some time ago Scott Russell Sanders wrote a beautiful essay entitled ``The Inheritance of Tools.’’ In it he tells of how his father taught him carpentry and the proper use and care of tools. It is an essay filled with lovely and poignant moments. What I remember most often is his father’s advice with respect to building anything.

Perhaps it is the dreariness of the day that causes me to have these feelings not so much of despair, but of hopelessness. I looked out my study window a few moments ago and saw that our six remaining chickens are having a great time pecking at the decaying pine logs stacked in a long row to the left of the hen house.

It would be nice to forget about the world while walking back country roads. Some days it is more possible than others.

Gardeners love to swap information with one another. They also find solace in sharing their woes. It is always comforting to know that one is not alone, that others have suffered through similar setbacks.

Much as I crave and seek solitude, complete withdrawal is neither possible nor particularly useful in a shrinking world. Having been raised to value community and the work required to maintain healthy and viable communities, recent behavioral trends in this country have conspired to undermine my faith in its ability, and willingness, to do what is necessary to bring about its salvation.