Gallivanting Galliform Gal

That was a morning. I wandered downstairs ostensibly, tho' not actually, refreshed from the best night of the year (yes, an extra hour of sleep or radio listening beats all-comers) to top up my coffee. En route for the kitchen, I said hello to the red hen on the window sill. She stuck around, so I stepped outside, pajama-ed and barefoot, and scattered some birdseed for her.

There was no sign of the blue hen and, since Miss Redly often gets lonesome while her friend's "at work", I assumed Bluebell was off laying an egg.

I went back inside. Miss Redly stayed on the windowsill--and trumpeted her dissatisfaction. Loudly. Repeatedly.

M & I both went outside. At this point, I peeked into the pod to check on Miss Bluebell. Not there. Not in the garden, which is hard to hide in, even if you're only hen-sized. I did find several piles of fluffy blue-grey feathers, but no blood. Cue wandering up and down the garden calling for the missing hen, climbing on stools to peer into next-door's garden, tramping up and down the paths alongside and behind the house.

Miss R remained for the most part on the windowsill, very distressed. Much hooting of sadness.

Not a sight, or a sound, of Miss B.

We assumed we'd been foxed, although the lack of blood, and the fact that only one hen had been knobbled, rather indicated otherwise.

Miss R continued unhappy. After lunch, I shut her in the run so she wouldn't be a target if the supposed fox came back.

There's nothing like hope, is there? I've been out to the back windows every twenty minutes or so. And, eventually, the wanderer has returned. She doesn't know what the fuss is all about. And fuss there is. Miss R is keeping so close that if you look outside there appears to be a single two-headed red-and-blue parti-coloured chicken in the garden. Redly's giving a pretty good approximation of worried parent in all out scolding mode too.

Early to bed for the two of them.

[What with Looby Loo's 'flu and Bluebell's disappearance, the day's been entirely derailed.]

Tweety

( (t)witterings )