Dear Friends,
The other day we were given an opportunity to reevaluate life's priorities. We were about to leave to church, when I thought I'd go water the seedlings coming up in the garden. No sooner did I begin, when I heard a commotion in the chickens' pen. Three medium-sized terriers had managed to get in and were ripping the feathers out of one hen. With superhuman (or so it seemed) speed, I ran from the garden, screaming at the top of my lungs, wielding my watering can (cue the "Braveheart" soundtrack!). Audrey had seen them from inside, and came screaming out at the same time.
The rest of the family followed close behind, but I was the first on the scene, throwing water on the dogs and then the watering can (to which they paid no attention). I then opened the door of the pen, found a good-sized stick, and began pummeling two of the dogs, while the third disappeared out the front yard. Chickens and dogs scattered everywhere around the yard, and the dogs finally leapt over the fence and ran off into the woods.
Mici before the attack~
We weren't sure how badly hurt the hen was, or if there was only one hurt, so we went to search for the unfortunate victim. Some of the hens had fled for the shelter of the house, while the others were huddled under the deck. We discovered which one was hurt, and fortunately she was only missing quite a few feathers and had a slight limp.
Hickety Pickety, on the lookout for predators~
Everyone else went to church afterward, but I stayed behind to hold and comfort Mici, and to contemplate the events of the morning. I suddenly regretted getting after the chickens for scratching up the turnips and for getting into the house and leaving their droppings behind, and realized how much having them enriches my life.
It's funny how it takes something traumatic for us to come out of our daily spiritual slumber, but I was grateful that I was given the lesson without anything awful happening!
May I keep this lesson in my heart, and remember it when I am tempted to see what is not perfect in life, instead of what a precious thing is the blessing of every day.
On a lighter note, we have been enjoying the beauty of the magnolia trees lately, although the rains have taken them now~
We had a chance to go to the LDS visitors center in Independence and marvel at the Cristus statue there,
And AnnaMarie participated in an Old Testament challenge with our local youth group; she did very well for a beginner, and we are proud of her!
I hope you are enjoying the first day of spring, whatever the weather!
Love,
Marqueta
I love the post!✰
ReplyDelete✰I'm so thankful we were there when the dogs came!:) ✰
✰I like all the pictures! ✰(What one did I not take?☺)
Love,✰
Your ✰loving✰ Daughter,
✰ Audrey~ ✰
Oh, Marqueta!
ReplyDeleteI can just envision you going to the rescue of the chickens with club in hand! How many times I have done the same thing! Sometimes in the middle of the night, in the snow or rain, and once when I was very pregnant with our second daughter. I slipped and fell as I was running (waddling!) and landed (bounced!) right on my grand belly! Nothing came of the fall but we like to tease our girl and say that is why she is the 'way she is'! ;~D
I am so glad your little hen survived the trauma. And God will certainly use interesting circumstances to awaken us from our mediocrity. (He says He will spit us out of His mouth because we are neither hot nor cold.) I guess I'd rather keep things a little spicy! Your story is a good reminder for us all!
Happy Spring to you, too, my friend! Your magnolia was lovely!
You too, Marqueta?!!
ReplyDeleteI had to chase two small dogs all around our front yard last week because they were attacking my neighbours hens!
The poor chickens were screaming in terror :-(
Afterwards my husband said I shouldn't have taken the risk because I could have got bitten.
Adrenaline had kicked in before I had time to think about that!
I'm glad you were kept safe too.
Your magnolia is beautiful..and so is your daughter!
blessings..Trish
Oh Marqueta as Audrey says, thank goodness that you were there at the time and hadn't already left for church. What you may have come back to does not bear thinking about! Our problem is Mr Fox and he patrols his route regularly. We see him regulalry watching our ladies and licking his lips, and if it wasn't for the electric fence, they would have no chance.
ReplyDeleteWell done you on fighting the dogs off, must have beeen quite scary and I am so glad that she survived her ordeal.
Blue skies here today...yippee. Have a lovely week. dev x
Ha Marqueta! I can just envision you charging at those dogs with your watering can to the Braveheart soundtrack. Thank goodness the chickens came through the ordeal relatively unscathed. Yep, sometimes we definitely need to be roused from our spiritual slumber.
ReplyDeleteMarqueta,
ReplyDeleteI can't picture you running and screaming well the running but not the screaming. You seem to be such a patient, quiet, reverent, lady. the complete opposite of me. :0) I am glad you were there to stop the attack.
I can understand we have had that happen and it is just frustrating. I am glad no one died from the incident that is always a sad thing. I hope the egg laying doesn't diminish from their scare, but very understandable if it does.
Love Erika
Hello Marqueta,
ReplyDeleteWhat a hair-raising episode for you all! You were brave to try to get the dogs off, risking a bite from them...adrenalin kicked in big time!
So glad the sweet little hen was more or less okay, you were just in time I think!
Hugs to you all, and yes, I am enjoying the warmer weather, finding flowers to photo, etc
xxx Hazelnut
What wonderful thoughts. And it's such a great parallel to our job as mother hens to our little ones and how important to not stress, but enjoy every minute of their lives.Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh dear! I'm sorry to hear that one of your dear chickens were attacked. I'm thankful that the damages were not too terrible. It's a good thing that you went to the garden when you did.
ReplyDeleteI recall going to an LDS visitor center a long time ago. I remember it being a pleasant experience.
At any rate, take care, and have a blessed day.
Oh dear! Your sweet chickens! I hope they have recovered from such a fright. Do you know whose dogs they are?
ReplyDeleteOh I am so glad the chickens will be okay. Wow, just like that 'out of no where' the dogs came. That in deed would have had me hopping that morning too! So glad you all were there for it would have been so sad if the dogs had their way.
ReplyDeleteA blessing it was after all settled down as your heart was lifted and to give thanks for the graces and gifts of each day.
*My daughter just began to participate with the youth at our church. We had her wait for a while longer than the usual to become involved... and either her daddy or I (sometimes both) stick around with her. I'm glad she's not embarrassed of her parents, like so many children come to be during teen years.
Blessings to you Marqueta! May your days be filled with joy :)
Those watering cans are powerful weapons! I know you just grab whatever is available when the criminals are on the loose, I once grabbed a liter bottle of Mountain Dew when I heard my birds in distress! I am so glad the chickens are "shaken but not cooked". We had a not so happy ending last night, when an owl grabbed my favorite little rooster, Jimmy, out of his favorite cedar tree. All I could do was watch helplessly from an upstairs window.
ReplyDelete