The chickens were out again today. This time it was because I realized there was a wasps' nest in one of their nesting boxes in the coop/ark. I realized it because I got stung while attempting to move the ark. So, we needed to get rid of the wasps' nest right away, by, yes, spraying poison...I don't know how else to do it. So, anyway, we let the chickens out. Luckily, my mom was still here, and did spraying duty. I am not afraid to get stung, but I feel pretty certain that poison exposure would not be the best thing for me or baby at 26 weeks pregnant. (Incidentally, I thought that maybe being pregnant would sort of slow time down for me again, like it did for the two previous pregnancies, but that is not at all the case...how am I almost done with my second trimester? I can feel little man wiggling around in there like crazy, which is a feeling I will miss, I know.) So, out they went, and had another very, very fun day, hanging out under our ornamental kiwi tree, making various attempts at my garden (I am going to have to figure that one out). At one point they all began clucking so loud that I thought maybe someone had laid an egg (that's how the neighbors' chickens sound when they lay eggs). But it is too early for that. I think maybe they saw an enormous beetle, which was intriguing but frightening for them. Anyway, although we did not leave for any long expeditions, we did do a few errands--to the Primary School to get Elsa signed up for first grade (I am still kind of balking--I also signed her up for a homeschool program at a farm in Fairview), a few groceries, and ice cream. So, I am adjusting to the fact that my little baby chickens are going to have to roam the yard, and will be fine. Seems like there is a metaphor there, as I am also totally freaked out about all day school for my little girl.
But come dusk, it was pretty crazy around here. Chickens are fun to watch, full of personality, great pets, and, umm, dumb. They wanted in the ark, but could not figure out how the hell to get in there. They kept racing around, and pecking at the chicken wire, ignoring the two open doors. I tried picking up the whole thing to let them in, but that freaked them out and away they would run. Finally, Elsa, who should have been in bed, but instead was catching fireflies as I didn't want it to get too dark and have the chickens out in the yard, managed to pick three of them up, handed them to me, and I shoved them in. Goneril figured it out on her own this time. I am hoping this issue will also work itself out, because I am not sure that I will be up for chasing them around the yard for the rest of my chicken keeping existence. Also, how awesome is it that my six year old is a better chicken wrangler than I am?
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