The Great Chicken Escape

This week on two occasions, I have woke up to the sound of Hannah yelling, " Mommy, the chickens are out!" I wanted to yell back, " I DO NOT CARE!" However, I calmly responded, "Go tell your brother."

 Joshua loves to feed, water, and chase chickens. I know this because for the last week, I have seen him flapping his arms, running back and forth around the coop and sharing the chicken feed with the cow while on the way to the chicken pen.  (Side note- he shares the feed with the cow so the cow will not chase HIM around the chicken pen.)

When Jeff got up, Joshua told him that the chickens were out again.  Jeff and Joshua have already clipped the chicken's wings but they keep getting out. Jeff replied, "I think I am going to band their legs and put weights on them. This way they can not get off the ground." (He was kidding!)

Melissa spoke up and said, "Yeah, then the chickens would be under Coop Arrest! You know like they do to criminals who get House Arrest." Everyone broke into laughter.

On the serious side, today was the day to put an end to the great chicken escape.  Joshua and Jeff found several holes around the pen that they filled with extra dirt. They clipped the chicken's wings again. After they were finished, Joshua glanced up into the woods and guess what he saw. Yes, another chicken had escaped!  Joshua set out to chase and apprehend the chicken as Jeff finished around the coop.

 All of a sudden, Jeff saw Joshua running down the hill out of the woods carrying the chicken and yelling.  When Joshua got to the coop he threw the chicken in and was noticeably shaking.  As Joshua was trying to catch his breath, Jeff asked him what was wrong. Joshua said, " I saw a snake and almost stepped on it!" Jeff said, "What color was it? What did it look like?" Joshua replied, " I don't know! I heard it hiss, saw his tongue and ran without looking back! Oh, and I am not going back into the woods to catch a chicken!"  Jeff told Joshua that hopefully the problem was solved by filling in  the holes around the pen and clipping the wings.

Hallelujah! The great chicken escape is over and Joshua didn't get a snake bite!

As for me, I am looking forward to sleeping late tomorrow morning because Hannah will not be waking me up announcing the chickens are out!