Friday, June 25, 2010

We Fare Well


Hello Joe.

Hello Zoe.

Afternoons in the garden have been rollicking good.

We open the door to the shark cage and let the chicas explore. We carry Joe out of his hutch. Amazingly, even Betty has been see out of her nest box. Her broody time has gone well beyond twenty days, but every day she is taking longer and longer excursions away from her empty nest.


And when Betty cannot leave her nest, she receives visitors, like Temple, and Joe.

Maybe the timing is in our favor... she has been sitting on two wooden eggs, which I removed one at a time over the last couple of days, and now: Ta-da! There are chicks. Could she think she did it? Has she simply grown accustomed to their pipping, and figures they must have been around all along?


I wasn't sure she would handle this very well, but Betty has met the new chicas. They visit her coop, she visits their coop.

Sure, the little pippers look impressed, a bit wary, but Betty has been rather matter-of-fact, nonchalant, friendly. No pecks on their feathered heads. No shrill hen squawks. All quite calm and casual. What a relief. What joy.

I could offer apologies, or pretend that this was only a quick visit... but the truth is I can (and do) spend hours in the company of Betty, Joe, Temple, Tesla, Zoe, Trudy, and Zelda. Fortunately the children join me, or at least know where I can be found. I tend the garden, I listen to Maria's narrations and join her games. And I sit, watching the chicas, admiring Joe, day dreaming, laughing, figuring out the camera, unwinding.

"Hours?
Watching chickens?
Seriously?"


Oh yes.
I do.
I am the luckiest farm-girl in the world.
My boots get real dirt on them.
I have dust in my ears.


And I have bazillions of funny, pretty, silly, dear chica pictures.


Joe... Joe?
What do you sniff, Joe?
Some carrot tops, and radish, corn sprouting?

7 comments:

The Words Crafter said...

Oh, how lucky you are! Glad the plan worked with Betty...and you have awesome pics! I could spend hours watching Kitty Boss, or watching squirrels and chipmunks...animals are so intriguing...

Anna Banana said...

TS3?

Miriam said...

I have to say, your chickens are so awesomely strange looking they seem like they're from another planet - I'd be out watching them all day, too! Ours (now 2.5 weeks old) are just garden-variety strange looking...

Katie said...

Brilliant! And Joe is so cute.

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Banana-- I thought you were getting psychic on me and could not figure out how you knew! I just realized I gave a clue in the side bar! We did see TS3! We LOVED it.
Good morning all.
Love your comments.

Julie said...

Happy chicken stories are the best kinds of chicken stories! Yes, indeed! And I'm so glad there was no head pecking on the heads of the sweet little chickies. Yay!

Psst! Joe, I think you can hop in now! I don't think she's looking, anymore.

judy in ky said...

I love seeing your happy chicas, and the rabbit looks so sweet. I love seeing you happily being the farm-girl, too. Good for you all!