The Loveliest Chicken Story Ever Told

Hayti, Missouri
I received this picture today as a belated Happy Chicken Day. I have such great friends. They totally think of me when they find themselves confronted with extremely large chicken sculptures.

Then there is this truly beautiful story from The Boy's mom:

"I was brought up on a large working farm in Maine, as (The Boy) may or may not have
told you. As a little girl I raised and showed special Bantam chickens, both for show and for the eggs, and especially for my pets. They were the best loved and cared for chickens that ever live. I started having my first ones at age three and showing them at summer fairs at age four when they were grown. They all had names and knew them and came to me when I called to them. I always had a rooster so could raise more chickens from the hens eggs. I started out with Andy the 1st and the last Banty rooster I had was Andy the 8th. I was then 19 and gave him to a nice man, one that played the organ at a Congregational Church, and had chickens of his own and his old rooster had passed away. My last hen had died at a good old age and my rooster was (or at least seemed) very happy at his new home with the Rhode
Island Red regular hens. (I am sure that he missed me though.) He truly was my dear pet and I would take a walk all over the farm fields with my little dog, Peppy, my rooster, Andy the 8th, and my two cats, Mickey Mouse and Topsy Twinkle Toes, who were old boys following me, and with my white bunny in a harness and leash hopping along beside me. Andy would sometimes fly up and land on my shoulder and crow to show off to the other critters. I was a blessed gal to grow up with all my many pets over my childhood years until I was ready to leave home and go off on my own.

When I was young and went off for a month with my Mama to visit my Grandmother in Massachusetts. I would get homesick and cry as I missed my pets. On arrival back home in Maine and to our farm one time at night at age eight, my Dad kindly got
out the flashlight and took me back outside to the chicken house so I could
go inside and see and love all of my chickens."

Lastly, my last Chicken Day present of the night was from BunBun's parents--a thank-you gift for taking care of their small menagerie. A little soft red BunBun of my own. Here is a picture of him hanging out at the festive little Thai restaurant we went to last night. Take special note of the "Yes Hot" and the patch that Wikus gave me yesterday.



Then there is "Redson" hanging out in the pocket of my jean jacket (check out my duck dress for Chicken Day! Also, if you look closely, you'll see I have another jean jacket on my legs; thanks to Wikus who doesn't get as cold as me--I need warmth for my legs):