feathered friends

Well, those feathered girls out in the yard...... they are growing up into the finest looking flock you ever saw. But, no eggs yet. Come on girls! I guess they are only at the beginning of when they could lay. I close them up sometimes. They are Dave's project and hobby. And when I do if I wear Dave's coat they are nice and friendly. Come right up to me saying "Hi ya big Dave, got treats for us? Water?" One of them even let me pet her soft feathers. If I go out in my coat they run away. They know their "shepherd".  Sort of like us Christians. The frequency and amount of time we put into knowing the Father is in direct relationship to us being able to follow him in life. I am partial to the "pretty" Amerucaunas. Dave loves them all, even the plain black Astralorps. Sure am glad God is not like me, playing favorites on such silly notions as what fancy feathers I have. He loves me from the inside out and loves my outside too, after all he made me this way on purpose.

Here are some pictures of the feathered girls.

The other day there was a huge bird outside. It was early, I did not have my glasses on yet. A friend of one of the girls was being dropped off. I saw the flutter, I saw it hop along the front of the house near the chicken coop. It was the size of a chicken, variegated feathers, fluffy neck, hopping, flapping. I thought one of the chickens had gotten out. I called for Olivia, expert Chicken Catcher, to go get it. She dutifully went out and snuck up on it. Within about 8 feet of it, she thought, this is no chicken and just as suddenly it flew away, a great huge hawk. Well, we felt pretty silly, but really, hopping along and flapping from that distance it really looked like one of our variegated chickens. Same neck feathers, head, size, behavior.Since then we have seen the beautiful creature swooping over the chickens, sitting on the end of the house by them, trying to land on their house. Being that the coop is half covered, there is not enough room for a big bird like that to get in and out, but hey, she can dream, just don't try it! Please. 

Here is a photo of Her Royal Beautifulness. 

Doesn't look anything like a mere fluffy chicken, as pretty as they are. Silly me.