Friday, November 17, 2006

On outdoor animals


Come here, Maudie!

It rained a cold, wind-driven rain yesterday, and I couldn't help feeling a sympathetic chill for those poor chickens. I fully understand that the poor things are barnyard beasts and that they, like the sheep, prefer grass between their toes and a clear sky overhead. But as I sat there in my wool socks and under my drywalled ceiling, ostensibly working, I still felt a twinge of something.

I think what it is is that my birds are still fairly young. They were hatched out at the end of March. So this is their first winter, and even though they've already experienced a snowcover, they've, like me, been lulled back to comfort by a long series of warm days. Now? The poor things just look confused, huddling in their deck condo. If I could only explain to them that the worst is yet to come and buck up, your grass is still green...well, at least that'd make ME feel better.

6 comments:

meresy_g said...

That costume is hilarious. Did you make that? I want to have a kid now just so I can dress him/her in a chicken costume. I completely hear you on the outside animal thing. Yesterday was torrential rains here and I didn't get home until after dark. I went out to shut the chickens in for the night and collect eggs. They were all perched in the hen house (which was dry), partially asleep but really wet. I rubbed a few with the sleeve of my coat but they did not like it. It even crossed my mind that if I hooked up an extension cord I could run a hairdryer out here. I just kept picturing having 5 sneezing chickens in the morning. I don't know what I'll do when it is bitter cold. I'll lay awake all night and worry. I'd be a terrible farmer.

Karen said...

What an adorable child and costume! How precious.

El said...

Wasn't that costume HILARIOUS? And appropriate, considering how much "love" the chickens get from the kid. I wish we could claim we were handy enough to make that costume, but we got it on sale at Old Navy for something like $20. Bonus? It was warm enough that she didn't need to wear a jacket over it.

Laurene said...

That is a fabulous costume! I love the cockscomb on the hood! Soooo cute! If you let your next clutch of chicks see her in it as they exit their shells, you may be able to cause them to "imprint" with her as their mother! (Just kidding!) LOL

Carol Michel said...

Oh, one of those chickens is a child in costume? That is a very cute picture. One I'm sure you will look back at a smile whenever you see it.

By the way, I read an article about a completely outdoor kindergarten in England where the kids are outside all day, every day, every type of weather.

Anonymous said...

Carol's comment was interesting. I read somewhere that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing! That photo is divine, and one I am sure will become more precious as time goes on.