Flown the coop
Getting used to all the animal chores around here.
Tonight, I went up to the chicken coop too early and they were still happily wandering around the yard. Asking them nicely to now return to the coop, the day was over, did no good. I tried picking a few up and stuffing them in the coop, only to find that they would just pop back out again. I got stern and scolded and they just clucked at me. I mentioned that I'd seen a hungry coyote in the neighborhood and they clucked at me again. Defeated, I decided I'd have to wait a bit for the poultry cocktail hour to be over. I was hoping to get it done earlier because of the rats. There's a whole mess of them that live under the coop and while they're quite cute during the day, I don't relish the idea of tripping over one in the dark and rather slippery chicken yard.
I turned to the door of yard, I'd return when it was a bit duskier, only to find that my semi-responsible eldest had locked the door in order not to let the chickens out while I was in there before she returned to the house. At least, I hope she did not lock the door in order to keep me in. I had said no to a movie that was starting too late for bedtime and I pictured the witchlets down the hill, snug in the house, watching the movie until all hours. They'd let me out later. They wouldn't do that, would they? The house is not close to the chicken yard and there are no other adults here right now. I yelled my head off for about 10 minutes but the only one who responded were the cranky chickens and Bobby, the sort of feral barn cat.
I could hear the rats in the eves of the coop and I started to wonder what they were doing up there. Remember the rats of Nimh? I started screeching again and this time Skyler came scurrying up the hill in her jammies and bare feet. I remember how happy I was to finally see her when she was born, this came a close second.
And now it might be dark enough for me to try again. >.
Tonight, I went up to the chicken coop too early and they were still happily wandering around the yard. Asking them nicely to now return to the coop, the day was over, did no good. I tried picking a few up and stuffing them in the coop, only to find that they would just pop back out again. I got stern and scolded and they just clucked at me. I mentioned that I'd seen a hungry coyote in the neighborhood and they clucked at me again. Defeated, I decided I'd have to wait a bit for the poultry cocktail hour to be over. I was hoping to get it done earlier because of the rats. There's a whole mess of them that live under the coop and while they're quite cute during the day, I don't relish the idea of tripping over one in the dark and rather slippery chicken yard.
I turned to the door of yard, I'd return when it was a bit duskier, only to find that my semi-responsible eldest had locked the door in order not to let the chickens out while I was in there before she returned to the house. At least, I hope she did not lock the door in order to keep me in. I had said no to a movie that was starting too late for bedtime and I pictured the witchlets down the hill, snug in the house, watching the movie until all hours. They'd let me out later. They wouldn't do that, would they? The house is not close to the chicken yard and there are no other adults here right now. I yelled my head off for about 10 minutes but the only one who responded were the cranky chickens and Bobby, the sort of feral barn cat.
I could hear the rats in the eves of the coop and I started to wonder what they were doing up there. Remember the rats of Nimh? I started screeching again and this time Skyler came scurrying up the hill in her jammies and bare feet. I remember how happy I was to finally see her when she was born, this came a close second.
And now it might be dark enough for me to try again. >.