Tag: chicken

#1401 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, Yardening1 Comment

Another blog hijacked by a chicken. See previous blog .

#1387 theoldmortuary ponders

Janner must have told Argyle there were rich pickings in our yard and that scaling the expensive fence extension that we built was a world of wonder .

Argyle researched her great escape earlier in the week.

What Janner had failed to mention to Argyle, was Lola.

I can’t add much to fill a whole blog. Lola buried her face in Argyle’s ample bottom. Our neighbour came round to collect his chicken and not much more can be done. Our wall extender is as high as it can be legally. Only the climbing plants can ‘accidentally’ increase the defensive barrier. Only steroids would make them grow faster.

The sun and a hill are not on our side.The sun arcs across the sea to the south of our East/ West yard. All the tender young shoots of the climbing plants turn their faces to the sun and grow towards our neighbours yard.  Delicious nibbles for adventurous chickens have been available since early April. On the chicken side our eight foot wall/fence combo is only about 4 feet high. The massive  18 inch,thick stone wall is an easy chicken hop from their much higher ground level.  It was also an easy bunny hop but the large lop eared Dutch rabbit that hopped avoided capture by our dogs and made good its escape  across our subterranean garage and was never seen again.

Only yesterday I was congratulating myself that the wall extension and climbing plants were at last providing greater privacy in our yard. The secondary consideration beyond livestock control. Pride came before chicken invasion.

I sense a sketch might make this all the more understandable. Top to bottom our yard probably drops about 10 to 12 feet.

Looking South from our French Windows. Chicken not to scale.

#1387 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and Lola, Plymouth, Firestone Bay1 Comment

The tale (tail) of Janners and Argyle.

Yesterday’s blog slipped off my schedule almost as my fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Lola had been let into the yard, the sun was out, and my neighbour  was clambering up a ladder in the sunshine. In that wrinkle in time the blog was lost.

He, my neighbour, asked me to unlock our back gate as one of his chickens was in my yard.  At that moment, out of sight, but not sound, Lola and the chicken met. Lola had the chicken under a citizens arrest with a very firm grip on its feathered armpit.  There was no catching them , the chicken broke free , scuttled into the house and I decided to leave them to their own devices whilst letting our neighbour in the back gate. Another human gave me a better chance of conflict resolution.

Armpit feathers

There was no sight or sound of them. 

We searched rooms. Lola appeared calmly on the stairs but no chicken.

A chicken bottom feather.

Just one chicken bottom feather laying on the stairs.

I thought I could hear a fluttery feather settling sound coming from the kitchen. Janner the chicken had escaped the jaws of Lola and returned downstairs and was roosting inside a dark bag that had been left on the floor.

Both chicken and dog had a winning look in their different locations. The chicken, victorious, by settling in enemy territory. Lola,perhaps, because she had driven the chicken downstairs and plucked a feather out of  Janners* enormous bottom.

Chicken and neighbour went home. Lola went into overdrive. Every moment of the chickens journey through our house  relived by sniffing and tracking every glorious moment of her hunting frenzy.

*I have no idea where a Janners apostrophe goes.

Two chickens, one named Argyle to honour the local football team. The other called Janner or Janners the collective name of Plymouth Argyle supporters. Or indeed Plymothians in general.

And that my friends is how the day started and I was given my earworm for the day.

Which leads nicely into the intended blog of the day.

To be continued… Link below for ease.

#1388 theoldmortuary ponders