6/30/2006 Reading in the Company of Chickens

Crazy chickens, too. And I didn't get much reading done either.

My MIL gave us a wonderful porch chair set-it's 2 chairs with a table in the middle connecting the chairs with a big umbrella over the whole thing. I love it-it's such a blessing. It's set up in a shady area with a nice view. This afternoon I sat out there for a bit reading a book with a snack. I soon was graced with the company of 27 chickens-all quietly clucking (kind of like a cooing sound) and turning their heads this way and that. I wasn't about to give them any of my snack or they would've been all over me and I would've had no peace at all.

But, I did enjoy watching them. They are all so pretty, too-we have several buff orpingtons (Jonah calls them golden beauties), silver wyandottes, red stars and barred rocks.

The quiet didn't last for long. As soon as they realized I had nothing to share, they wandered off a bit and the roosters all started crowing-which is an awful sound right now. They're all young and when they crow it sounds like they are choking on their tongues and about to die. My dh tells them to stop it before they hurt themselves. LOL.

I love having their company outside while I'm working in the garden or pushing Susanna in her swing.

It's the funniest thing to see a flock of chickens run as fast as they can to the house when the back door opens. Lately, we've been giving them strawberry caps from all the berries we've been freezing. So, now they think everytime the door opens, they're going to get goodies.