Day #296 The Chicken Pictures I Promised You

 

Here’s the proof. I really did kiss a chicken and live to tell about it. This is Lacy (on the right), a little gray hen who actually seems to enjoy being held. When I first took her into my arms, I ended up crying. She was so soft. And she made little clucking sounds that I could feel reverberating through her chest, rather like the purrs that come from Daisy and Miss Polly.

 

Next we have Penginie, the black hen in the photo on the left. Her feathers had an iridescent green-blue cast to them that was absolutely stunning.

These little ones were in the chicken coop when I first saw them, but Julie and her husband let them out to run around with the big folks, seen below. The little ones were so curious about being out in the yard, but they kept scurrying back into the safety of the coop.

This is Rocky, the fluffy gray and white rooster, and three of the older hens.

It's really fun to watch a hen scratch for bugs. She'll go scratch, scratch, and then hop backwards and lower her head to see what she's come up with. Then she eats the bugs or weed seeds or whatever, steps to the next patch of grass or dirt and repeats the process.

I can't believe I spent so many years so terrified of the idea of chickens. It's good to be over all that nonsense.

Julie Porath was kind enough to send me these photos, and I’m excited to share them with you.

BEEattitude for Day # 295:

       Blessed are those who share their enthusiasm with others, for they shall expand the limits of knowledge

_______________________________ 

The teeny details:
my books:  http://www.franstewart.com Please buy your print books from an independent bookstore or directly from my website.
my eBooks for Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Fran+Stewart
my eBooks on Smashwords (for all other formats):  http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Fran+Stewart

Day #293 Wholesome Country Farm Chickens

I spent Sunday afternoon with Julie Porath at her Wholesome Country Farm in Buford GA. What an amazing, enlightening experience.

I’ve told you about my long-standing fear of my grandma’s chickens (see day #288 - 7/27/11). Well, I decided to do something about that fear.

I took these pictures of chickens eating at my feet, because I couldn’t hold a bird and take a photo at the same time.

Finally Julie took pity on me and my less-than-fancy phone. She took some pictures of me actually holding a sweet little hen (the tiny gray one - 2nd from the right in the left-hand photo). As soon as she sends them to me I’ll share them with you, but for now I had to spread the good news:

I’m not afraid of chickens anymore ! ! !

The funny thing is that the chickens haven’t changed a bit. They’re still just being chickens. I’m the one who had a change of heart – and it’s all based on education. I was afraid of those birds when I didn’t really know them.

Now that I’ve met some real live chickens, accompanied by a person who was understanding of my fears, I can see how silly I’ve been all these years, carrying around a vision of hens as bloodthirsty harridans.

Thanks Julie! You helped me grow a lot. I'll see you at the next farmer's market -- and I have a gift of two of my books for you!

And, look what I brought home with me!

BEEattitude for Day # 293:

       Blessed are those who help others to grow, for they shall rest in the knowledge that they have made the world a better place.

_______________________________ 

The teeny details:
my books:  http://www.franstewart.com Please buy your print books from an independent bookstore or directly from my website.
my eBooks for Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Fran+Stewart
my eBooks on Smashwords (for all other formats):  http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Fran+Stewart

Day #42 How about four (or even five) winners?

So, the question (on day #37) was:

Why did the bee cross the road?

And I couldn't decide who should win. What do you think?
Here are the answers - in the order I received them:

a, Just bee-cause.

b. Because "A Taste of Honey" was on the marquee of the drive-in theater across the road.

c. Because the chicken didn't want to any more.

d. Bee-thoven was playing in the concert hall across the road and over the hill.

e. Bees don't need a reason. They just have to bee.

f. Duh! The hive was over there, dude.

Now, I ought to warn you that three of these answers came from one family, which is one reason I wouldn't dare pick a winner!

BEEattitude for Day # 42:

       Blessed are those who are kind to chickens. Those birds need all the help they can get.

One thing I’m grateful for right now:

       My furnace, installed six years ago by Cool-Ray, and still running just fine. (Brrr! It's cold outside!)