WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHICKENS GONE

Yesterday was a huge day! We are moving from a two story country home to a patio home, of course we have about twice the furnishings we will be able to use. We can jam a lot into that patio home so maybe it is not twice, but we did have great deal of stuff to give away.

Well some of our kids came up yesterday and hauled stuff away. It was great! It was nice to get things cleared out.

But the thing I want to write about is the chickens. My Son Matt inherited the chickens.

I have raised chickens for forty-five years. Off and on I have raised goats, sheep, geese, ducks, turkeys, guinea hens, pigs, a cow, but chickens I have had continuously. I have heard roosters crow every Morning for all those years.

They are mixed heavy breeds and since we set hens and incubate eggs some of these chickens may have the genes of the original ones I purchased forty-five years ago. In times past some of the chickens had names, I remember a barred plymouth rock we named Hazel and their were many others that acquired names. The roosters were more apt to have names, there were fewer of them and they stood out.

This flock had a lot of aged hens. I wouldn't be surprised if some were ten years old. We still got plenty of eggs, more than we could use ourselves.

So this Morning for the first time in forty-five years I awoke to bird chirping, no crowing. For the first time in these many years nothing propelled me to go outside. I didn't need to take care of any feathered or woolly creature. I do have some sheep that are going with the farm, but they need no care in the Summer.

Although I loved my chickens dearly, I have given up my attachment. I was more than ready to pass them off to my Son. I will be happy to stay in the house until the dew is dry on the grass. I will be happy not having to close them up every night.

Still, I know I will miss thanking them for their eggs when I close them up for the Night and I will miss saying good Morning to them. But it is all good.

I am about to enter a new life stream. More time for writing and more time for study. Life is good.

Love and Peace, Gregg