December 8, 2020

We have several chicken coops on our Albergue Garcia Farm. One is a small building where we raise our chicks during the spring and summer with large metal troughs with heat lamps. We have a small well protected coop with a small chicken house for the elementary school aged chicks, (the ones who start flying out of their troughs). When they are teenagers and are starting to feel their hormones, we move them into the big egg production chicken yard with a large chicken house. This large yard is well protected as well with bird netting on top to discourage Harold, our red tailed hawk from picking off a snack. And yes, birds of prey do fly down into small enclosed fenced areas. Harold proved this to me with his America’s Got Talent worthy acrobatic flying techniques this past summer. Then we have our assisted living chicken coop that has been specially created for our senior adult and handicapped chickens. They don’t have to pay rent anymore. They have a small protected yard and a smaller and warmer chicken house with a brighter light. A friend from my Sunday school asked, “Why don’t they just move to the great chicken coop in the sky and into your freezer?” That just did not seem the right thing to do after them laying all those eggs for us through the years. And I have to admit as I am getting on in my years as well, I kind of identify with them. There are 2 roosters with these hens who should probably go to one of those male testosterone clinics for ED but we will just leave it at that. In the evening as their CNA caregiver, I call and lead them all into their chicken house after they have spent their day out on the veranda sunning themselves and playing bingo. There are 2 who are more special needs birds. Twirly Bird is blind with dementia and is always off somewhere going round and round. I have to pick her up to return her to the coop and put her right in front of her feed so she can eat. Every evening she always acts as if we have never done this before by desperately running around faster and faster and squawking.🤷‍♀️. Then I pick up our paraplegic duck named Duck and return her to the coop as well. She is a decorated disabled veteran duck from the great Dog versus Duck War of 2015.

Ephesians 4: 31-32

Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.