A Rooster After All...

Soon after moving here, we endeavored to do a brave thing (for us) and took up our friend’s invitation to take a portion of the chicks she was ordering. We thought, somehow, that they would arrive in the Fall, and laid our anticipation quietly in a drawer so we could focus on other ways to settle in. Imagine our surprise when, two weeks later we received the announcement that the chicks had arrived! We scrambled – really – to contrive a proper homecoming. A pop-up mini-coop miraculously presented itself in one of our sheds, and we borrowed a lamp while waiting for a brooder, and suddenly found ourselves with a lapful of adorable and fascinating little lovely birds. The children – all of us, truly – were in love with these little creatures and the prospect of raising them. The prettiest chick, Camilla, stood out for her sparkling black eyes and bewitching expression. All of them are pretty, though, and we have delighted in watching them grow. From their first home in the garage they transferred to a homemade coop – handcrafted by the master of the house himself with the help of an adept woodworking friend, and painted by the children – in the goat pen beyond the house (we dream of goats someday), which despite the one ravenous groundhog that attempted (but failed) entry, has stood firm against potential predators and violent weather. Our Camilla developed in a roosterly fashion, however, and recently we began to suspect that she’d be Gonzo after all, but we would not make the call until she crew. On that momentous afternoon, the children raised the alarm, so to speak, and we all ran out to the field to witness the call of the ruler of the roost – and he reminds us, numerous times a day (and night) that he is in charge of his domain. We had not planned to have him, but cannot help but love the sight of his pluck and plume as he struts and harasses and makes his demands. He is a fascinating weight in our little world, and we like the way he wields his wings and talons – inspiring in us a healthy level of vigilance and care in proximity - and we are grateful to have a rooster after all.

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