Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Chicklet Express

They left the incubator motherless, alone, except for their own fuzzy cell mates. Packed into a shipping box before they could blink, they were off on a cross country adventure that would change their lives forever. Go East young hens, go East! And so they did.

It was to be a one day trip, but because I live in 'rural' Pa. it took 2 days. I got on the internet and tracked their journey across the land. Their little chicklet tracks started in Wisconsin and their first stop was in Cleveland, Ohio where they got Cleveland Indian Baseball caps to help stave off the cold. By morning of the second day they arrived in Philadelphia, Pa. Insisting on seeing the Liberty Bell at Independence Hall, they got little Liberty Bells as souvenirs to show me when they arrived. I think they lied when they all said in one voice that "No, we didn't have lunch at Bookbinders Mom!" Their next stop was in Lancaster, Pa. They were overjoyed to hear about all the Outlet Malls they could visit while waiting for the truck to leave again. Warned to stay away from Lancaster's Farmers Market lest they end up in Pot Pie they weren't happy until they all got Amish aprons and homemade brooms. York was the last stop before arriving in New Oxford, Pa. and someone advised them to get protective gear if they were going to be pecking about.

At 6:00 a.m. the phone rang and the post mistress said to come get this rowdy gang of fuzz busters immediately! They were screaming and upsetting all the postal workers and they couldn't afford to have that happen! There was already one causality in the box and they wouldn't be responsible for any more. Evidently one of the chicks spent all his money in Lancaster and couldn't afford to get the protective gear he needed.

A memorial service will be held, time to be announced, and I will be accepting donations to create a memorial garden where you may visit his grave when you come for tea. In lieu of flowers please eat beef this week. We appreciate your condolences.

They are now settled into my claw foot tub in my bathroom (of course) and are admiring all the treasures they acquired on their trip East. They are a heavy drinking gang of egg beaters. They eat their crumbles, grab some grit, take a drink or two and then head for the heat lamp to sleep it off. Of course I will have to monitor their drinking.

They look like turkeys compared to the tiny bantam chicks out in the garden. I'm not accustomed to full sized chicken babies. Come see them when they are older. They aren't allowed visitors in the house ;-D My husband is still acting resistant to the idea of converting the tackroom, beside the barn, into a Peep Palace, but once I get my handling gloves on and sincerely WANT him to, he will of course do a fantastic job on it.

I have to laugh at them. When I go into the bathroom all of their little heads come up like a herd of emus and they look at me very intently, necks extended so they can see over the tub, whenever I go in the room. This doesn't say much about their manners, but at least they are friendly!