Chickens, Plants, and Birds

My partner named the chickens as a group when they were
quite young--the Poopy Toed Sorority Sisters.  I call them
the "Girls".  The are inventive and figured out today that even
though there is a gate  preventing them from getting on the proch,
they learned they could fly through the slats on the low side--this
is where all my freshly potted plants were sitting.  I was nothing
but a caricature of Peanuts's Pigpen after one hour of planting.

So I went straight for a shower--no choice really.  That dirty.
And I was showering my head, my hair is fairly short now,
but still thick as a hot blanket in the summer, and down dropped
this really ugly beetle, followed by a loud scream from bug-phobic
me.

That same evening my partner had quite a time getting the chickens
back inside.  They were the teenagers again with Blondie leading
the resistance.  He captured 5 and I babysat them in the bathroom
(Will it ever be a bathroom again?  He is very attached to these
chickens and they follow him around like little puppie dogs.).  Then
he got the privilege of convincing Blondie to come to him--Once she
did, the others followed.  But it was raining.  10 minutes standing in
the rain can be a very long time.

Today--no planting for me--just watering.  And helping him keep an eye
on the chickens.  You see, he wants the chickens to experience life as
natural chickens.  So they are running loose in the front yard.  A
natural chicken--with 2 humans checking on them frequently so there
are no predators to worry about--Now what is natural about that??
If you're not laughing, I am!  And he is a very macho kind of guy--never
dream he'd get this nutty over chickens.

Remember the pileated woodpecker whose prospective mate turned him
down because she disapproved of his house?  Well, he has 2 "kids" now!
They come to the feeder and suet now.  They aren't shy like Dad, so maybe
I'll get a pic of the juveniles.  Still young, they are approximately 12 inches
long, as opposed to Dad's 19 inches long.  Still big birds though.  The one
I saw was a male.  I don't know about the other one. I have only caught
glimpses of it.

I thought this was our house--but the young pileated has claimed it as his
territory.  My partner found this fact out:  when the pileated woodpeckers
make a drumming noise when the peck, they are announcing to all that this
is their territory.  Wonder if he wants to live inside like the chickens?


After planting the nearly 3 foot  Golden Raintree--still in a container--but
a gallon size one this time--I brought it back inside in fear the chickens would
get on the porch and start eating its leaves.  I have cared for it since it was
leafless twiglet.  So it is indoors until the "Natural Chicken " phase has passed.

One last thing--a hummingbird ran a hornet off from the porch today.  Too
near his feeder.  That was something to see.

All for tonight!

Kate Thorn