Trapped

posted by Angie

I have gone back and forth on whether or not to share this adventure, but I can't resist. Sunday night, after we finished eating dinner, I went outside to spend a little time with my chickens. After a few minutes, Andy innocently pops in and fills up their feeder then goes back inside, leaving me in the run to continue my chicken petting. A few minutes later, when I get up and try to open the door I realize that he has latched it and LOCKED ME IN THE CHICKEN COOP! Uugh. After a moment of panic, I settle in and wait for what I am convinced is going to just be a few minutes, surely the family will come looking for me, I am the Mom for heavens sake. It's very windy out, and getting dark and more than a little creepy. After a while the chickens go up into the coop and leave me alone in the run, peeping at me that I should go in the coop because it's roosting time, can't I see it's dark out? Any minute now Andy and the boys will hunt me out, I'm sure. Scott is in the kitchen doing dishes with his headphones on, so he can't hear a thing, he's just taunting me with his closeness. I open up the coop window so that the light will shine on me (it's dark by now) and hopefully someone will see me. I'm even considering hollering to a passers-by on the sidewalk for help, but that would be humiliating, so I decide to wait it out a bit longer. I must say that we built a very secure coop. There is no way anything is getting in there (or out) except through the door. Of course the door latch is flush with the frame, so there is no way to push a stick through the screen to open it. The screen mesh is too tight to fit a stick through, anyway (3 broken sticks later, I give up). I could have probably pried the roof off of the run, but I don't want to break my run. So, I wait. An HOUR later I am pretty annoyed when Scott pops his head out (with his headphones on, of course) and I wave madly at him. I just tell him "I want to see your father" and he has enough sense to not laugh when he goes to get Andy. Now in my head I know it was an accident, he just latched it out of habit, but sitting in a windy cold chicken run for over an hour has a tendency to try one's patience. I did hold my tongue (mostly), and he is very apologetic. A pot of tea and a zucchini muffin later I couldn't stay mad.



Yesterday morning I hiked up Chip Ross at what I consider an outrageously early hour, 8:15. I took my lab, Sarah, with me, who continuously reminded me how much I need to work with her on the leash more. But, at the top I was happily out of breath and the view was spectacular. Again, I am constantly amazed at how many beautiful, natural spots we have so close by.



I finished up my pear canning later in the day. Some of the pears I canned as slices like on Saturday, but much of it I made into a simple pear-sauce, which turned out delicious! I'll post directions later today, but for now I am all peared out and glad to have that job behind me.



Today's chicken of the day is Rosie. She is my shiest bird. I am constantly trying to bribe her into affection with mealworms (how can the girl resist?!) but so far she is not coming around. At any rate, she's a sweet little thing, just not very assertive, more, ummm, chicken. She's last pullet in the pecking order, which may have something to do with her disposition.