I'm sorry to not have written in such a long time but today warrants a post.
Last night, Sybil, Helen and Edith were taken by predators. It was stupid in that it fit like a cheesy story...as it was a dark and stormy night. But what is not so cheesy is the intense feeling of disbelief, denial, hope, loss of hope and now the deep feeling of sorrow my wife and I now feel for our dearly departed birds.
They became a part of our life here in Colorado. My daughter who was just coming into speech when we got them called them, "the girls," and would sit and watch them with me as they grazed the yard for bugs and seeds. My daughter is too young to be greatly affected by this loss but my wife and I are so sad. They would let me pet them and hold them while they cooed and clucked softly. I could feed them all manner of things but their favorite food were strawberries. They'd play chicken football with a strawberry...always five minutes of pure joy. They would come up to the screen door and say hi. They would crap all over our deck! But I didn't care, they were chickens and lived happy lives. Their reckless abandonment was a release for me, something I envied. They were beautiful birds, too. And yes, I could tell each of them apart from one another. Their soft colors were pleasing to the eye and their feathers were soft and full...they were amazing.
Sybil, Helen and Edith were the best buff orpingtons I have ever known. People think chickens are stupid but these birds were smart, crafty, and even sneaky in so many ways and it breaks my heart to think that they are gone. They were here for such a short time, but they have left a long-lasting impact on me. And for the happiness and joy you brought into my life, thank you, girls and good bye.
Oh, I'm SOOOO sorry to hear this! :( :( What happened? Do you know what got them?
ReplyDeleteWe are still working on finishing Ft. Knox, because I, too, am worried sick about something getting my girls.
I also have three buffs, and can tell them all apart. Hopefully, you won't give up on chickens completely..... {{{{hugs}}}}
So sorry to hear about your girls. We had something similiar happen except that it was partialy my fault. I had accidently left our three bantam gold laced cochins out overnight. They made it till 8am the next morning and then a family member saw them go flying by the window with a coyote hot on the trail. It got LuluBelle sadly but at least our other two were alright. Now the remaining two are very upset that they don't get let out to free range like they did before but I just felt so awful about forgetting them overnight. Now they get strictly supervised yard time only.
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