So. Wow. I am so happy. All of a sudden, Miss Mable showed up. She was walking around with the other hens like, "Whoa. What the hell happened?"
And then...there was Miss Bob, too! Whether she found her way home or the lady next door caught her and sent her home- either way- she is back.
AND, Mr. Moon and I just went out to say goodnight to the chickens and shut the door and Shalayla was there too. Freaked out, but home.
I am SO happy.
I wish I could ask them what happened. Don't you?
I am now thinking maybe it wasn't a human. Maybe something scared them to death and scattered them before I shut them up last night. Which means...it's my fault because I didn't notice a thing.
Well, hell. I am as good a chicken mama as I can be. And we have five hens, which is wonderful.
I will always mourn poor Betty and I wish like hell that Red and Penny would show up. And maybe they will.
I will go out and check before bed to see if they are by the chicken coop.
But for now- right this second, I am so happy to have five hens in the hen house. Bob and Mable are in the same nesting box as Elvis, cuddled beneath his wings. I think he is happy too.
Thank-you all again. I will let you know if more of them come home.
And I have to add a P.S. which is that I feel so silly being so caught up in this disappearance of my chickens. Chickens. Just plain old chickens.
But they are my chickens and I do love them and they have been a huge and delightful part of my life for a year and a half now and dammit, they matter to me a good deal and they represent a harmony of home which I never knew before I got them.
So. Sweet dreams. Cluck-cluck. Night-night.
Oh Ms. Moon! I just read your other post a few minutes ago and was coming on to leave a comment... I can't tell you how happy I am to read this post.
ReplyDeleteStill so sad for the others though...
(it's not silly to be caught up in this.. don't even think that)
Whew...
ReplyDeleteOh, no -- I missed the other two posts. How did that happen? But it appears that things are a bit better?
ReplyDeleteWell, I had to read the other posts and then come back and comment here. That's just crazy! As if you don't have enough to deal with near constantly. I'm relieved that they're back and so sorry to hear of Ms. Betty's demise. That makes me sad because I know how much you love those ladies.
ReplyDeleteIt's not silly to feel emotional about it. Like you said, they're not just chickens - they're YOUR chickens, and you care about them. I actually have a hard time trusting people who DON'T care about their pets (or animals in general, really).
ReplyDeleteI hope Red and Penny show up, too.
Yay! This is good. Hopefully the other two will come back too.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best news I've had all day! Seriously!
ReplyDeleteThey're not just silly chickens.
From one Chicken Shit Crazy Lady to another...
xoxoxo
Listen---if it's important to you, it's important. Never apologize for caring.
ReplyDeleteAw! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI'm so so excited to hear this! And don't feel silly for loving your hens. They're more lovable than some humans...
Good lord, it is not silly at all to be caught up in worrying about your chickens. You love them so of course you care.
ReplyDeleteAnd you have a bunch of us out here caring for those same chickens too, so I guess we're silly together.
Could they have been hiding up in the trees? That's what my friend's chickens do, with great effort! OTOH, my neighbor took a picture of a fox that had also managed, apparently, to climb into a tree. Either that, or magically flew. A mystery.
ReplyDeleteCorinne- Such a drama queen I am, though. Crying about my chickens.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth- I really do.
G- Me too!
Nicol- Wagging their tails behind them.
Michelle- I knew you would understand.
Nancy C- Okay.
notjustafemme- So very true.
Jill- Well, they ARE very lovable.
A- No. Foxes can and do climb trees. I always say that foxes are like crosses between cats and dogs. They are dog-cats.
SO glad you have most of your babies back! There is nothing silly about the way you feel about your "critters".....mine are more lovable than most of the people I encounter in this world.
ReplyDeleteLo- Thank-you. It's too true about our lovable critters.
ReplyDeleteI have the feeling that we are all in this chicken love together. You, Ms. Moon, are part of our world and for that reason a little bit of the coop is in our day, every day. And as I read all of the comments, I am just sure of it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what scary creature was lurking out there in that full moon light.
Oh, Ms. Moon. I cry over my butterflies and I only have them for hours or days. Your chickens are darn near family, nothing plain about that. There's nothing silly about crying over them, especially given the circmstances. Poor Miss Betty. But I am so relieved to log on tonight and learn that most of your hens are home safe. Sleep tight!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad some of them came home, flustered but feathered.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this I was happily yelling to A "Some of Ms. Moon's hens came home."
ReplyDeleteEven though you lost Miss Betty, what a relief to see some of the girls come back home. Elvis is king again!
I am glad that you have some of your hen ladies back. I wish that all were home. Hoping that others show up tomorrow. I am tired and going to bed thinking about hens.
ReplyDeleteHoly CRAP!! I missed all this chicken drama... I am so very sorry.
ReplyDeleteBetty was one of our very favorites too. She used go right up to Harley and eat from his hand. Oh, I'm so sorry.
There is a night time predator (likely several) that know there is easy prey around here. We lost 3 bunnies to whatever it was/is.
This makes me want to camp out with a shot gun! (And I'm mostly a tree hugging pacifist!)
Again I'm sorry, but I'm glad you got who you got back.
xo
Some happy news!
ReplyDeleteI love your chickens, too, all the way from Wisconsin. Silly, but they make me smile whenever you write about them, or take their picture.
And I love you and your writing as well, even though I don't take time to say it often enough. Thanks for bringing peace and joy every single day.
well.. this has sort of resolved well.
ReplyDeletestill.
Hot damn! This is GREAT news. And I posted about North Florida Chicken-Thieving Motherfuckers over at my blog. Laugh.
ReplyDeleteLove you.
When I read this last night I even teared up a little. Of course, it was VERY late and I was a little punchy.
ReplyDeleteOh Mary, what a tough couple of days you've had. I'm so sorry about Ms. Betty and no more little brown eggs from her. I hope the other two find their way back to their coop sweet coop.
ReplyDeleteYou are sensitive and you care so deeply, so of course you cry for your chickens and for everything else you love! You have a big, big heart and I love that about you!!!
I've been SO out of the loop. I'm sorry about Miss Betty - she IS family. To add insult to injury, with Miss Betty's passing you can't call the Bereavement Committee at the church to make deviled eggs and fried chicken for the mourning. That's probably in poor taste.
ReplyDeleteif you didnt care so much about them, it would be pointless to bother with them at all. this is what i feel about my kids at times.
ReplyDeletetony was reading blogs to me whilst i was grading last night and i am sorry for your loss and glad that some have come home to roost (and i mean that in the most sincere way)
now off to the clusterfuck of grading homework....at least my 6th grade class is like buttah!
xxalainaxx
"Chicken Mama": remind me to tell you the nickname I was given by a Chinese colleague: "Chicken Wife". It will make you laugh but you'll have to see me saying it for the full effect. SO GLAD to know your good news!!
ReplyDeleteLove, love!!
PS My Captcha word tonight is "purehor". You reckon that means anything?