The King of the Coop

I am pretty sure that I've never blipped a chicken before, or in this instance, a rooster.  So, when I had the opportunity to sit down among a whole bunch of chickens with my camera, I knew I'd have my blip for the day.  This handsome fellow (and the hint of one of his harem behind him) belong to my friends who have an organic farm a few miles from us.  I had a surplus of mealworms, so drove over with a jar full and my camera.  The chickens went mad for the mealworms, devouring the entire lot in under a minute, softly clucking and muttering to themselves as they gobbled up the treats.  There was only a tiny bit of pushing and shoving and no cursing that I could detect. 

I confess that I've never spent any time with chickens.  I have vague recollections of being chased by a chicken (or maybe a rooster) as a little girl, although I'm not sure where I would have encountered one (not a lot of chickens in the remote areas of Alaska where I grew up!)  That said, I find them quite fascinating and very beautiful in their way.  And I enjoyed sitting there on the ground as they wandered around me , making their soft little noises.  Delightful.  One more shot of one of the "girls" in Extra.

MIL is here for our regular Sunday dinner.  I'm doing the cooking today, a Tuscan chicken with white beans and tomators done on the stovetop.  A nice salad alongside and some crusty whole grain ciabatta.  We've got a fire going so its toasty warm in the house.  

Talked to my mom and dad this morning - they are in Southern California, slowly making their way towards AZ.  They were headed out for a 7 or 8 K walk along one of the beaches today which leaves me feeling a bit envious.  As for me, I'm going to head outside and pull some more of the annuals that got zapped by the frost this week out of the garden.  None of them have seed heads, so no value in leaving them where they are.  

Happy Sunday.

xo
Debbi