Something Fowl is Afoot

Today we peek in on the barnyard at Casa de Pulga. The fowl that are mine are having a great time this spring. Say hello to Jimmy the Duck.

Jimmy can't fly — Poor Jimmy – he’ll never be able to fly, with his short wings and heavy body. So he likes to climb up my arm to my shoulder and spread those wings.

Jimmy is loving the spring weather. Rain is his favorite thing, mucking about in puddles, splashing the girls, mocking me. He’s also wishing I’d get a girl duck to keep him happy, but that’s not going to happen. So I endure the indignity of Jim making sweet, sweet love to my pink Crocs. And biting my ankles. You’re welcome.

Kiss a duck, be happy all day — Well of course I’m not going to show you that! This is a family show. What kind of fowl mind do you have? You’ll have to settle for me kissing the duck. A very dirty duck.

The girl fowl have been shut up in the chicken yard most of winter, with occasional periods in the yard at large. There’s just not much for them to do in winter, and their own yard is rather large. But they were out quite a bit this weekend, and they took full advantage of it.

Fowl on the table — Mary Ann and Legolas are on the back porch table, watching intently while we make lunch. Mary Ann remembers the Jones Chicken Taffy, as well as the many sandwiches she’s helped me eat in the past. And don’t judge the cheap beer on the bench. Alright, you can judge. I bought it to kill rats. It didn’t work.

We love our fowl. We love our lunch. The chickens love our lunch. For Pete’s sake, they had an entire ripe papaya to eat, but they chose my gluten free sandwich?!

Fowl bird ate my sandwich! — Mary Ann helped me eat my sandwich. In fact, she pulled the ham out of it and nearly ran off with it. I put it back in the sandwich and ate it. How fowl!

Mary Ann, especially, is a pig. A fowl pig. And by the way? I put the papaya in the chicken yard and by next morning they’d reduced it to a paper thin shell.

I know you’re all curious about the tiny fowl, yes? We had company yesterday, kids come specifically to visit the wee chicks. Quick PSA – please don’t buy chicks for your children unless you plan on raising chickens anyway. Kids are a little rough with them, unless in a very controlled environment. Chicks are delicate and easy to harm or kill. Super cute, but not great pets.

Crazy tiny fowl — Kya held chicks for the first time. She thinks these wee fowl are “cwazy”. Yes, Kya, they are. Totally.

When I let the babies out, either to roam the living room (yes, I’ll be Rug Doctoring the living room once the chicks have moved outside – the dogs aren’t thorough enough when they clean it up) or to be held, I always put the dogs away. Flash and Patches ignore the chicks, because they’ve been taught to, and Chewy has learned that they’re off limits if they’re on my shoulders. But if one jumped to the ground, I know the temptation would be too great and he’d want to grab it and toss. Likewise, Gadget can’t be trusted AT ALL with the chicks. So away they go.

Cute chicks on the carpet — I put a big blanket out on the floor for the chicks. I do. They immediately run off the blanket to the rug. Every time. And they flutter-jump when they do it, testing their wings. Cutest thing ever. Then they poop all over my carpet. Not so cute.

I swear, I’m never going to have a clean house.

So! Just a reminder, Gadget is still up for adoption. I’m willing to drive several hours from Tulsa if the home is right. Talk to me, people. And I’ll leave you with a parting image of one of this month’s yummy treats from Jones Natural Chews. They make my dogs smile. Naturally.

Loving the L Bone from Jones, and great for teeth and gums — Chewy loves his L Bone from Jones. He drags it out of his toy box at least once a day and spends time gnawing on it. It’s so good for his teeth and gums, and it keeps him quiet.

Until I write again …

Flea

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