Fun Time at the Chicken Farm

Well, another baby chickie has a name. Bean chose "Black Thermostat" for one of the Australorps. Good thing I'm blogging this, as I'll never remember all the names. Little Miss Pasty Butt is perky, but is very small compared to the rest and we had to un-paste a bit more today, along with another yellow chick. So far, it hasn't been an issue with the dark chicks. I read somewhere today to feed the chicks plain yogurt, as they too benefit from the probiotics, so I'll be purchasing some organic yogurt tomorrow and see if that straightens out my little missy.

I enjoyed a funfilled day with Bean, Bugg and the chicks.

Bean would live outdoors and started out with a great affection for bugs and worms and all manner of critters. When he was about twenty months old he developed a horrible fear of all bugs except lady bugs. We didn't know what caused it, but he had been very ill with a high fever and I wondered if he hallucinated about bugs, or had night terrors. Anyway, I started catching critters and putting them in containers for him to look at without being afraid, and after many months, he came around. We started him a bug collection, which he always called his "connection." First, we kept the critters in a cigar box, but for his fourth birthday, Handy Man Pappy made him a beautiful wood case to keep his buggy treasures in. Today, he got out his treasure box to show his sister and I throughly enjoyed listening in to the conversation.
Bean: Are you ready to be a bug scientist?
Bugg: Yeah!
Bean: You want to touch this beetle? It's dead, it can't hurt you.
Bugg: Ooohh, no!
Bean: Well, is there one you WON'T be afraid to touch?
Bugg: No! They continue looking and he continues explanations.
Bean: Here, You wanna touch this one's butt?
Bugg: Phhhht.
Bean: I know, I was just offering
Then it's time to put the bugs away and one last comment from the Bean.
Bean: They are very fragile. You have to be a bug artist to do this.
Wow, we've come a long way from the Bug Phobia to Bug Artist. I love it.

Kaye is still in the hosptial, but apparently they have her eating some soft foods now. I will be able to give a more complete report after my shift tomorrow.