It's been a while since this chicken wrangler has posted here. Since I got my Smart phone I spend less time on my laptop. I have missed writing about the exploits of our girls.
They remain the delightful little critters they always have been, and we miss them when we travel. (That God for our surrogate chicken wrangler, Jim, a neighbor who also has backyard chickens and helps chicken sit when were gone.) We discovered this past week that they miss us too when we are gone.
After a 5 day trip to the San Juan Islands, we returned late last Friday night. We checked on the girls who were cooped up and asleep. Come Saturday morning, I got up, went to open the chicken run, and feed them their scratch. They were still in the net. Didn't even notice I was there.
After a book club meeting later that morning, I dragged myself home, opened the back sliding door to let Annie out, and collapsed on the living room couch, leaving the door open so Annie could come back in at her leisure. I was just dozing off when I heard a familiar cococoing sound, only it was not in the yard, it was right next to me. I opened my eyes to find myself eye to eye with Barbara who had strolled on in the house, Mabel right on her tail. Barbara began chatting with me, while casually pecking at the carpet. Mabel followed suit. I believe their message was "where the hell have you been"?
Still it warmed my heart to see these girls who were so afraid of us when they arrive a year ago, that we had to chase them all over the yard to get them in the coop, fearlessly walk into the house, through the dining room and into the living room to find Mama. We had a nice talk.
I did say a small prayer that they would not poop on the rug, and sure enough they didn't.
Aside: Earlier this summer we had a lovely green granite-like patio poured and added new garden furniture, umbrellas and even an outdoor area rug, flower pots, and garden art. It is lovely, like an Italian loggia. First time a chicken stepped on the new rug, she pooped big time! Only ten minutes of sheer bliss looking at my lovely new serene patio before the deed was done. I knew it was inevitable, but only ten minutes? They have the whole dang yard to poop in and Barbara has to go and poop on the rug first thing. Good thing I love those girls!
