Success is getting what you want; happiness is liking what you get

Sunday 26 December 2010

Don’t let the Chicken in!

It’s certainly a different sort of life, out here in the country in Kiwitea.  Whenever we go in or out the back door, we two townies are admonished with cries of “Don’t let the chicken in”.  The family obviously don’t have to be told this basic instruction as they have been living with the chicken in question for some time now.  Henny Penny isn’t shy and easily chased away like your average type of chicken.  Oh no, Henny Penny rules the roost.  She isn’t afraid of the resident cat, Fanta.  And as for those fraidy-cat farm dogs, Henny Penny runs rings around them.  They may well round up the sheep, tell the cattle where to go, and be unafraid of the horses with their heavy shod feet, but they had just better watch their manners around her!  It is her aim in life to walk into the house and hang out with the interesting people who live inside.  If only one of those townies staying in their big white caravan  forget to shut the door to the house behind them, then she would be a happy chicken indeed.  And then again, perhaps they will leave the door open on their caravan too, then she could pop inside that as well and have a quick look around.
DSCF5021 Henny Penny
The family hosted a Solstice barbeque the other night.  Everyone brought plenty of food along for the pot-luck tea, and son-in-law Robert was busy cooking up all the meat.  Sausages, lamb chops, and the most delightful tee bone steaks were soon sizzling away.  A lot of this meat was processed from stock fattened on these neighbourhood acres, so it really was home grown.   
DSCF5033 Robert hard at work on the BBQ
One of the neighbours brought along her young 10 week old pup Chase, whose breeding is half German Shepherd and half Blue Heeler.  Judging by the size of his paws, Chase is going to be a very large dog indeed when he grows up.  He was playing happily as young pups do, getting pats from the youngsters, chasing around chairs and generally enjoying the summer evening outside with all those delightful smells.  Henny Penny wasn’t having any of this.  How dare this young upstart come on to her property and think that he can do whatever he wants!  A few pecks kept the puppy in his place, but being young, he soon forgot who the real boss of the BBQ was.  The last straw came when one of the guests offered Chase a left over bone from his plate.  Henny Penny immediately confronted the pup and snatched the bone from his mouth.  “There – take that, you insolent young pup in wolves' clothing.  I’m the boss here,” she seemed to be saying.
DSCF5034 Henny Penny on the attack

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