The Mother Lode

I see the chicken and the chicken sees me

Living with “The Gift” creates many opportunities for memorable moments.  Like this weekend.

Jay and Daniel take a drive out of town to pick up his riding lawnmower that we stored at a friend’s house.  On the way back Shiny Object Syndrome kicked in while they were driving past a flea market.  (For the uninitiated in my world, Shiny Object Syndrome, or SOS for short, is the tendency to be distracted suddenly by any shiny object.)

I imagine it sounded something like this: “Hey Dad!  Let’s stop and look at the chickens!”

Dad: “Okay!  But we’re only looking…”

5 minutes later, Dad and Daniel are leaving with not one but TWO laying hens.

They arrive home where mom looks up from the gardening bed she is cleaning up.  Daniel, all shiny- eyed is bubbling over, “Guess what I bought?” Jay is looming with a guilty look on is face in the background.  Clucking noises are heard from the back of the truck.

“Oh my gosh.  You didn’t.  Tell me you didn’t.  Oh dear God, please no….”

More clucking noises.  Daniel retrieves the birds from the back.  Their feet are tied so they are TICKED.  You might say the birds are giving us the bird.

In the meanwhile, Libby, a springer spaniel, which by the way is a type of dog specifically bred for bird hunting, begins whimpering, hyperventilating and pointing.

“Oh tell me you didn’t…” My voice trailed into a whimper as I look at the half finished chicken coop.  In our world, many things only reach the “half finished stage.”  I’m used to it by now.

But with the dog….and the cat…I know “Lucy” and “Aunt Bea’s” lives are going to be remarkably short with the half finished coop.

And then It kicks in.  The unbelievable focus and energy Daniel has when he’s motivated.  Within 2-3 hours, the coop was finished.  Yes, the ENTIRE sack of corn feed was dumped out….but the coop was finished.

This morning, I gingerly poked my nose into the coop to see if they were still alive.  What greeted me was one of their hind ends and I was just in time to witness that indeed, they were very much alive.

Daniel followed behind me, barefoot.  “You might want to watch where you step, son,” I told him.

He gave me his heartwarming smile.  Maybe this chicken business isn’t so bad after all.

And Jay tells me to count my blessings.  That flea market had goats and rabbits too.

Filed under: humor, Misc, Uncategorized Tagged: | ADHD, Chickens, humor, The Gift