October 16, 2012: Second Egg Arrives and Mabel Becomes a Lap Chicken

Mabel and Barbara have been here less than a week and have settled in well.  Barbara gave us a second egg yesterday.  I think I need to start looking around the yard for Mabel's first blue egg.  Meanwhile, Mabel has fallen in love with sitting on Cal's lap and being petted and ruffled.

Barbara has taken to jumping up on me while I am sitting on the chaise and pecking at my shoes.  Neither have tried to fly away again so I hope our Chicken Wrangling wing clipping worked.  Both have cleared little spots to take their dust baths and seem to love that. 

Gonna have to watch Barbara as she body slams Mabel away from the food when in the lower level of the coop.  Yesterday they both enjoyed eating a whole tomato and pecking at a piece of squash Cal bought them. 

They are out in the yard most of the day and tend to hang around the sliding doors when we are not out with them.  They even migrated to the bedroom slider yesterday while I was in bed recovering from a minor medical procedure, kinda of like, "where's Momma?" " Oh there she is".  I was out of it, but Cal says they were looking in the window at me for a time, probably wanting me to come out and play.  They love to play, those little girls.

They also went right into the coop and up the ramp into the roost/nest area about 4:30pm.  No chasing or broom action required.  Cal is working on the addition to the coop, expanding the run room so when we are gone for several days, they will have more outside room to explore.  We'll ask  our neighbors or my Sister to check on them in exchange for fresh eggs, whenever we are gone.

I am reading this wonderful little book called " Barnheart": The Uncurable Longing For A Farm Of One's Own. A Memoir,  by Jenna Woginrich.  I reminds me of my own longing to live rurally, have chickens, a goat, a garden and more peace, lots more work, but less distractions from what is truly important.

After all I am just an old Hippie who loved her time on the farm in Hood River, Oregon, sharing a wall in my converted barn stall room with the chicken coop, looking out my antique window at Mt. Hood in the moon light. 

I am up early today and the girls and Cal are still asleep.  Annie got up with me but has gone back to bed with her "cookie".

Life is good, I am blessed beyond belief.