This year has been so unkind -- add another tragedy

Ninja was killed today by what we presume was a coyote. As I came out to do the morning feeding in the critter station, I noticed a large pile of feathers. They were Ninja's. We searched and couldn't find her. 

We are devastated. I know on the scale of this year's suffering, this is in the small potatoes category, but to us, she was family. A wily, stubborn member, but family nonetheless. 

In memoriam: 

Ninja's questionable choices

Ninja had a wonderful routine. She would run to be fed every morning and afternoon, she'd hang out on her dust bath tire or scratch in the backyard, and then she would go to bed on her roost in the big tree near the back gate. Every night I'd say goodnight and tuck her in. (Note: she still refuses to go into her designer house). Last night that all changed.

I was doing the weekly watering in the backyard and tried to stay away from her as much as possible, knowing she would be heading for bed around 4:15 or so. After all, one does try to respect her space. But, instead of heading toward her tree, she kept hopping the fence to the dreaded back of beyond and then would come back, only to hop the fence to the front yard. It was as if she reverted to her behavior when she first arrived. Puzzling, annoying, and not least, worrying. The front yard is home to cats, coyotes and people who often make poor choices. OK, she'll come back when the watering is done. No problem. 

Problem. She not only didn't reappear, when I went searching for her, I found her in a tree in the thicket. Now, perhaps she just wants to savor the season by having a good view of Christmas lights. Or she wants to enjoy the beautiful decorations and lights from the neighbor across the street. Since we have no outdoor decorations, I understand her appreciation for the display. But...so not safe. Of course there was nothing I could do but go indoors and worry about her, but she's her own chicken and I was certain she would go back to her safe routine once I wasn't in her way with the hose. 

Good theory, but the evidence said otherwise. Tonight, as I was watering the front yard, I see Ninja hop over the fence and start strutting right toward me. Oh no! I tried to shoo her back and she finally went, only to come flying back over and heading into the thicket. Again, tried to cajole her out of her folly, but she wasn't having anything to do with good sense. Nope, she is now roosting in the tree, dreamily looking at all the twinkling lights, and planning the next thing to drive me crazy with. 

Anyone want diva hen? If you can catch her, she's yours!

Ninja doing her best modeling poses and a cat in need

Yes. Ninja is still very much with us. No. She has decidedly put up her cute little beak at the very idea of the new house even though I've tried tempting her in with food and, the latest trick, putting her water dish just inside the door to get her used to the idea. Apparently, buying her a split-level home with amenities such as a nesting box and roost do nothing for her. The good news is that she is now perceiving me as less of a threat and more as a trusted servant. She'll come within 3 feet when I call for breakfast and afternoon snack. Today, she allowed appropriate social distancing and gave me her best modeling poses:

I suspect if she could do a duck face, she would.

Now on to Tesla - a beautiful cat in need of a permanent home pronto (though fostering would be helpful too!!!). Lifeline for Pets is putting out this urgent plea:

We are reaching out to you to see if you can help network this sweet but shy girl. If you know of anyone, you can refer them to our website to fill out our adoption application, www.lifelineforpets.org/cat-adoption-application-revised.html. Tessy’s  story is also on our website’s Adult Cats page, at www.lifelineforpets.org/teens--adult-cats.html. Just scroll down a bit there & you will see more pix and her cute video.

 

We had Tesla (and her twin sister) from a baby, but it took awhile before they found a home because they were shy. At last, a nice gentleman adopted them. Then, in 2020, the man passed away and the twins ended up at a local kill shelter, even though they should have been returned to us. They were understandably very confused and frightened. Finally, they were released to us. Fast forward to them first being boarded, then taken to the vet for exams, then to our cat den. Finally, they each went to foster homes (they were not bonded).  Tesla relates well to men, probably because her original owner was a man. She loves to be petted by her foster dad, even though her foster mom lives there, too. She would do well as a single cat, no dogs, and a quiet home. Dontcha just want to run your fingers through that fur!

 

Wind, Rain and Fire -- sounds like a song...

Yup. I think the universe is trying to tell us something. The Santa Ana winds are starting up and though we've managed, so far, to escape the worst winds, it's enough to play mild havoc with garden, trees, and other things about the place. My greatest worry is, of course, that crazy hen we love yet cannot tame. Well, that's not entirely true. She allows me to get within 3-5 feet of her now, especially if I have her fruit and veggie treats. I've been adding bits of cheese on the advice of a chicken whisperer (you know who you are), and that's made her a bit more forgiving for trespassing on her territory. 

Yesterday, in preparation for what we were assured were devastating winds, I made the bold decision to move her house from the spot we set it up (where she chose to so completely ignore it I figured it was a wash) over to her favorite hangout. We didn't place it there initially because it's by the wall where predators can easily sneak up (we have two feral kitties that have taken to hanging out with naughty intentions in spite of multiple conversations about appropriate behavior). But with devastating winds predicted, it seemed a more protected place. The other plus is that, theoretically at least, we would be better able to lure her inside. Yeah, right. But, we'll keep trying. And trying.

So here's her new home:

And here is her highness scooting right by it:

Now, you may wonder what the toilet tank is doing there. I use those for planters (along with stray toilet bowls for that matter) and will start planting things chickens are supposed to like in there. It goes without saying that if all the chickens in the world like something, Ninja will put up her cute little nose at it, but hope springs eternal...sure, we'll go with that.

I bought a new house yesterday...

After much hemming and hawing, indecision and hand-wringing, I broke down and bought a new house. Well, not exactly new -- it does need a bit of fixing up (as all homes do), but it might be a better fit for a certain member of the family -- if and only if she chooses to use it as a refuge from the rains that are going to come sometime, even in drought-stricken SoCal. That's right, you guessed it, the house is for Ninja. 

Her behavior of late has been a bit concerning. She's not scratching as she has, her appetite is diminished, and she's molting more than seems necessary. I did call a vet -- well several vets -- and the first thing on their list was we have to catch her. If it were that easy, she'd be back home with her original flock! Of course I also went to Dr. Google to find out potential problems for what might be ailing her. One of the first items on the list is she might be egg bound. Who knew that was even a thing? If that is indeed the case, it's a fairly easy fix. But like all fixes, it requires the patient to actually be available for treatment. So far, no luck. I do confess I've not tried rounding up a posse to chase her down, partly because of COVID and partly because I'm so afraid we'll still not catch her and we'll end up freaking her out so much she will move on to far more dangerous territory.

Now back to the house. I cleaned it out and I'm thinking of taking off the door altogether so it might be more tempting for her (giving her a sense of freedom or escape depending on how she feels at the moment). And though I genuinely feel this will be all for naught as she has very definite opinions on anything that appears to be a prison, we have to give it the old college try. After all, she had a choice of so many yards and neighbors, and decided we were it. We cannot break that trust.

 

 

Ninja doesn't feel like cooperating today (or ever)

So I finally had to break down and buy a new phone. I LOVED my old one. It was small and light and worked just fine -- until it didn't anymore. Sigh. So off to get another one and I was assured that the camera would be superior to my 6 year old model. I had my doubts (and that turned out to be correct), but ever game, I decided to try it out on Ninja being cute. Only the day before she was doing something that seemed video worthy and today would be no different, right?

So, settling in to wait for an opportunity to film and test the zoom feature, the following is the scintillating video of Ninja being Ninja:

Stuffy house, stuffy brain. AND a dog in need.

The last few days have been torture. Now I know what everyone was complaining about during the actual lockdown portions of our current pandemic. 

When we first got stay at home orders, I wasn't upset by that at all. I hate shopping and having to dress in something other than sweats to go anywhere seems like more trouble than it's worth. Who doesn't love puttering around the house doing projects, reading good books, perusing Pinterest, or getting out in the garden to get all dirty? Talking to passersby on their daily dog/fitness walks is enough socializing for anyone. Or it was until the big stink.

The big stink is the result of all the fires that are raging mostly out of control nearby and up north in California, Oregon and Washington. The smoke has been so thick and noxious, it's all I can do to step outside and quickly feed my critters -- and that's with two masks on. It's painful to watch Ninja in the yard acting like she's so stoned she can hardly move. And without her consent to being caught and brought into the cooler, less smokey house, there's nothing to be done about it. Kuma, he of minimal brains, doesn't seem to notice the air being toxic and has to be reined in from his normal long walks to protect him mostly from himself. At least when he gets home there are two air purifiers going non-stop and an air-conditioned room when it gets too hot and stuffy.

After only one week of this self-imposed lockdown, dealing with a stuffy house that no fan can adequately air out, I'm feeling an ennui that discourages me from doing much of anything other than reading. Projects that involve lifting, sanding, painting or anything else remotely outdoorsy and physical are off the table. So I've turned my attention to trying to find the perfect home for Princess. She's a little Miniature Pinscher who is cuddly, only barks when people are at the door, chill with cats (at least those in her backyard) and other dogs, and is 7 years old -- no health issues. And without further ado, Princess:

The sky is falling!

The smoke from multiple fires is so thick the sun is either a rusty orange or almost invisible. Evacuation warnings are in place for multiple towns. Even with two air purifiers working overtime, the air is stuffy and hard to breathe. So what am I worried about? Why Ninja, of course. 

Unlike my beautiful bear who stays with us in the house and is protected from the fetid air except for those times when he must go out for important business, Ninja is on her own outside. Two nights ago the worry was the potential for very fierce Santa Ana winds. For those who are not Californians, think hurricanes. I was fearful that she might be blown off her perch in her favorite nighttime roost. I needn't have worried -- but for a very odd reason. 

Yup. She's broody again and hiding out all day except for about a 20 minute break to gulp down some food and run back to her nest. And the other good news -- the winds never reached us. So double good fortune.

But back to the broody bit. I'm now an old hand at figuring out where she hunkers down, and sure enough, by patiently waiting out of sight, I watched as she dove into the Bromeliads (again). So for the fifth time, I have to disappoint her motherly instincts and raid her nest. Easy peasy. Today I would simply watch for her mealtime excursion, quickly/stealthily raid her eggs and wait for her meltdown. Nope. Somehow missed mealtime. Dang! Frankly, in all this smoke, I'm not that anxious to roust her out because it means she'd spend more active time in the yard. At least her nest is somewhat protected. With the sky falling at the moment, there are no easy choices. We'll have to wait for tomorrow's set of catastrophes to pick out options.

And now for GOOD NEWS...

One satisfying moment out of all this though -- Ninja finally deigned to take her dust bath in the very ritzy tire bath I made for her. You may recall the two days of sifting dirt and two types of sand along with diatomaceous earth carefully placed near her hangout. She utterly ignored that spa treatment until yesterday. Actually, that was the tip off that something had changed. And sure enough, apparently it was the precursor to her nesting for the long haul. It's good to know that hens have high hygiene standards. Not to mention all that work was worth it. Small victories are victories nonetheless.

Teasing a little bit more...

Last post I offered up a tease for my newest garden/landscaping endeavor. Even in 90+ degree heat I've managed to keep going at a fairly good clip and it's coming along nicely. The slate is down and the rock border tied it together rather well. I even used the last of the mulch pile to freshen up the area. Of course, Ninja will be none too pleased with that as she used that pile for scratching up bugs and creating cool nests during the heat of the day. So far she hasn't really noticed because I cleverly did the mulch moving as she was preparing to fly up into her favorite nighttime tree roost. Tomorrow I expect to hear vigorous complaints and she'll probably want to talk to the manager. 

This is where we are so far:

Cleaning up allowed the previous border to peek through and the bottles do add a bit of shine.

From the other side, it looks like this:

But wait. There's more!

Lest you think that's the end of it, you are sadly mistaken. Of course I can't leave well enough alone. Finishing touches will be added to the slate area, the pots need to be planted with something or other, and the final art piece must be installed -- as soon as I figure out how the heck it's gonna be put together and YouTube is failing me big time right now 😡. Be that as it may, I hope to have the whole area completed by early next week. But don't hold your breath. Your face could turn blue from waiting.

 

Ninja's best friend

Ninja has found a friend. Thankfully that friend requires no food and no worries. Because, wait for it, her friend is an orange ceramic duck. Ninja frequently perches on the low table and happily communes (mostly in silence) with her nameless, silent friend a couple of times a day. Tonight I was actually able to capture proof of this unusual alliance through the kitchen window. If I had tried to go out and get a decent picture, there would've been the clucking and squawking and running about as if I had a cleaver in my hands instead of a phone, so we have to make do with what we've got. And what we've got is this:

The deed is done and other surprises

This morning I scooted Ninja out of her nest and robbed her of her eggs. She was seriously unhappy with me and the whole neighborhood could probably hear her complaints about the whole business. So now the search for the new nest begins. I wonder if I could patent it as a game and retire in style? Probably not. 

Just as Ninja was surprised by the temerity of me reaching into her sanctuary, I was surprised this morning by balloons attached to a bag of seriously yummy goodies left on my front porch. A dear friend I don't see nearly as often as I would like (you know who you are C), left it to cheer me up after Sassy's passing. She knows me too well. Fabulous chocolates, cookies, and fresh fruit. I'm afraid I tucked in a little too well, and don't regret it for a minute. Just to show my neighbors how amazing people can be, I tied the balloons to the handrail at the top of the stairs and have enjoyed them waving in the breeze all day. Even the big bear Kuma, after inspecting them for any imminent danger and declaring them safe, enjoyed watching them from the safety of the doorway. Thank you for a great start to the day!

Is this the never-ending story?

Our Ninja is broody again so I had the bright idea of trying to get her out of her nest (a toilet tank I wanted to use as a planter) by sprinkling her down with the hose like a gentle rainfall. Chicken experts said that water would cool her ardor for hatching. Didn't budge. Then I went over, looked her in the eye, and explained she needed to get out and eat and could she just move so she would be OK? Didn't budge - which was odd because previously when she knew we had spotted her nest she would give us a lot of lip and fly out. Familiarity breeds ennui? Don't know, but I guess I have to wait 'til she gets out to eat and then steal all her eggs. That just means I'll be doing the search-for-the-increasingly-hard-to-find-new-nest in a day or two. And we were doing so well with the mark one egg to leave in the nest and take one egg routine that kept her laying in one place. Apparently she can count to twelve even when there are no eggs present, and she feels a dozen means she has to hatch something. Whatever is going on in her head, she consistently outwits her humans without batting an eye.

 

Trying to outwit a chicken is not easy

I believe I've mentioned -- well yes, many times -- that Ninja's great pleasure is destroying my garden. With her vigorous scratching and pecking, she not only upends plants, but creates a massive mess on my patio. Normally I don't get fussed about a few leaves or a bit of dirt. After all, that's just a sign of life well-lived. And the squirrels do their part to be messy and rambunctious and they're still cute. Let's also not forget the bird poop. But given the amount of detritus Ninja can kick up, and how far she can spread mulch and leaves all over the place, I decided is was time for a big clean and a potential solution to some of the mess. First, the big clean (and you will probably not see it this cleared off again in your lifetime):

There are two major spots Ninja likes to disrupt the most and since I had a few bricks lying about from a former project, I decided to create a barrier. Not just any barrier mind you, but one that adds a decorative touch. I've used this type in various places around the garden and clichéd though it may be, I've always liked the look of it. You might also note the dark blue pot (behind the Buddha) next to the tree. I managed to salvage some of the succulents she upended and by putting them in the pot, they should be out of harm's way. Of course, the squirrels may have something to say about that. In my household we're taking bets to see if the pot and barrier are up to the challenge of effectively allowing her highness to scratch and peck to her heart's content and allow me to have a semblance of a clean patio. If it works at all in that location, I'll be adding a border along another prime spot as well. Fingers crossed.

In other Ninja news, she seems to have settled down into a single nest for laying eggs. Against expert advice, I've now chosen to always leave one egg in the nest and harvest the other. In the past, when I've stolen all her eggs, she just finds another spot and it takes a couple of weeks to locate it. I now take a sharpie and put a dot on the egg being left. When another egg appears, I remove the egg with the dot and add a dot to the new egg. This has worked for a week so far and I'm very careful to make sure she doesn't see me raiding her gifts. Of course this is all based on the premise that chickens can't count. Time will tell.

Something other than chickens

When I started this blog, I had no idea I would be writing about a beautiful hen who took up residence (uninvited) and then became a focal point of my day for weeks on end. We are now in a routine that works for both of us, though I am thinking ahead to the winter and how I can get her to be in a covered safe location. But all things in due time.

No, this is about other projects that make me happy and some that are just tedious. Hours spent trying to remove some cactus from the infamous thicket in the corner of the property -- and most importantly trying not to be impaled upon the truly nasty spikes -- falls in the tedious, but necessary category. Ditto for pulling out the miles of aloe that no longer grace the parkway, but at this point just look sad, burnt, and frankly nasty. But enough about that.

You may remember the rusty hoops in a previous post. They are currently undergoing a transformation with paint. Halfway done with those. As I was painting, I remembered the rusty lanterns hanging on my porch posts and thought how nice it would be to spruce them up. I didn't want garish colors, and the hammered copper paint seemed to be the ticket. Still make them look like old lanterns (which they are -- from a monastery), but give them a bit of shine. From one of the lanterns I had hung a completely rusted and rather sad looking Tinkerbell, that judging from the small remnants was once enameled in bright colors. While I am thinking of adding a bit more bling at some point, I'm happy with the hammered copper and red at the moment. Just perks up some formerly drab decorations. So from this rusted piece:

To these painted ones:

Subtle difference to be sure, but it makes me happy.

In other news, there are some truly magnificent blossoms coming out now:

The next blossom is on a plant that requires a bit of a back story. A neighbor in my building in Northern California gave me a single leaf of this plant. I put it in a small vase with water and it grew some roots, but never got planted. It thrived for years as a single leaf in water. When I moved to SoCal, it came along for the ride, and now having a yard, I planted it. That single leaf grew into a jungle of exotic leaves and blooms. It was just waiting for the right environment.

It's one of the few plants Ninja has yet to destroy.

And for the final word on all subjects, my little terminator would like to add:

Custom bath and pool - what a life

OK -- remember the protestations on my part that I did NOT want a chicken, did NOT desire a chicken, and yet, things being what they are, I have a chicken. Naming her was probably what clinched the deal. And intractable as she is, I feel responsible for her well-being.

Being the researchy type, of course I found out what chickens like to eat and adjusted appropriately. Apple bits - check. Celery tops - check. Broccoli - double check. And sprouted mung beans of course. All this on top of regulation chicken feed and mealworms and any assorted veggies I happened to come across.

I was also aware that chickens take dust baths as their version of fluffing up their feathers and getting rid of parasites and such. Ninja makes quite the production of it. During my research, I discovered that making a bath with sand and soil and diatomaceous earth (and wood ash which I don't happen to have), was a terrific thing to do for the prima donna type.  So, one trip to the hardware store for all-purpose sand, play sand, and diatomaceous earth later, I was sifting dirt from the backyard to make it fine enough to mix with the other ingredients. BTW, this is as close to cooking as I get. Operation sifting:

Living on the corner as we do, people are so kind to dump all sorts of trash and junk they don't want. Every now and then, it's actually something we can use. In this case, it was a tire. Apparently they make great bathtubs for dust baths. Several buckets full filled it nicely and I even added some dried lemon balm to entice her highness in. Well, what did you expect? She only drinks out of the pool (a pan) I made her to cool down in for the summer, so why would she use the dust bath? Oh she stands next to it and sort of looks it over, but so far has resisted the lures of a well-appointed tub. Sigh.

Possum and Ninja and projects, oh my

Well, the possum decided to move on in short order and declined the food and water. Fair enough. And that night, I saw another possum who was not so thrilled that my big bear wanted to get up in her business. Seeing one possum in a day is remarkable, but two means the universe is trying to right itself. When we moved to our neighborhood, we saw raccoons, possums, skunks and coyotes regularly. In fact, there was a racoon family that liked to lounge on our patio furniture and looked askance when one of the mere humans wanted to take advantage of a cool evening. The last few years have seen a huge decline in wildlife, so to see a couple of very cute critters who've been absent for too long is a blessing.

Tonight was watering the yard night and Ninja was fine with that until I stopped watering to work on a project or two. Since evening was rapidly approaching I suspect she wanted to get settled for the night, so she stood on our wall and read me the riot act. The mouth on that girl is astounding.

Speaking of projects, I discovered an old dresser drawer that someone had made into a keepsake shelf. I liked the idea of that and am in the process of scraping off their background to figure out what I'd like to do instead. Here it is partially scraped off:

When I complete the transformation, I'll post a picture.

More Critter Drama

Dateline 8 a.m. I get a frantic phone call about a possum in distress on the sidewalk just down from our house. Mind you, at 8 a.m. I'm barely coherent, much less dressed to go on a rescue mission. But there I am, throwing on clothes, grabbing a towel, and heading to the back of beyond to the storage that houses multiple crates and other critter paraphernalia. Crate and towel in hand, I head out to the cutest possum who is looking a bit dazed and confused and who very willingly allowed herself to be shooed into the crate with zero fuss. Our house is next to a road I call Killer Alley and feared she  was hit by a car. Thankfully, a cursory exam showed no major injuries or blood, but her breathing seemed a bit labored.

Back we come and she's given water, some dog food and the avocado she was guarding when I found her. Again, a look to see if there were visible wounds or blood. I did notice a couple of scratches on her face and head, though they didn't look brand new. Looking more closely though, I noticed something else I didn't expect to find. Stuck to her whiskers and her tail were bits of the bedding we had for Ninja when we still dreamed of taming her. I had discarded the bedding in the backyard. Earlier I had noticed there were were feathers about. At the time the thought that a predator had been around did occur to me, but since Ninja was hanging out unharmed, I pushed the thought aside.

Even though the location of the possum was outside my yard, I believe that somehow Ninja and she tangled at some point. A quick text to the humane society's wildlife center, and they directed me to release her since she was alert with no visible damage. Okey dokey. Took her back to the area I found her and opened the crate, expecting her to make a hasty exit. Backed away and...nothing. In fact, she hunkered down even further back in the crate. Well it is full day and possums are nocturnal, so maybe she's as sleepy as I am in the morning. Fair enough. But I couldn't leave the crate there so I hauled it to the back of beyond where I could open the door, leave food and water and her avocado just outside, and let her take her own sweet time to leave. I'll check on her from a distance to make sure she's OK and hope for the best.

Duh! I FINALLY figured out why Ninja chose to live here .

I'm not a big believer in signs or superstitions, but as I was coming back from my dog walk after making a wonderful free find (more on that later), it suddenly dawned why Ninja was attracted to living on our modest homestead. Why the penny didn't drop weeks ago -- well I'm chalking that up to retirement haze (yes that's a thing I just made up).

When we moved into our home, there was (is) a cinder block wall for the backyard, which, while affording some privacy, was certainly not attractive. Reluctant to take the time and expense of painting, stuccoing, or some other more decorative covering, I decided instead to start covering it with found objects. These include things like an old scythe and pitchfork, old clocks, and assorted miscellaneous objet d'art. Lo and behold, one of the first items I added to the wall were the following plates:

And in context :

Clearly the majesty of the seriously stylish (silly) roosters would call to any self-respecting hen. Then to clinch the whole thing, on my dog walk, I picked up two wonderful plates from a box that said FREE:

Anybody else notice the resemblance to Ninja? I sure do.

To say this was destiny may be going some, but there they are -- all the signs that Ninja would seek us out and then decide to stay. Invited or not.

The Lady v. Chicken -- a draw?

I know you've been holding your breath since the last post to find out who's smarter: the lady or the chicken. I'm pleased to say I WON! Well, sort of.

After spending the morning in the front thicket wrestling cactus that have worn out their welcome, I went round to the back to do my first ever stakeout. Ninja's habit is to arrive for brunch sometime between 11 am and noon. I stole into the garage, grabbed a stool, and positioned myself so I had a clear view of her lair, but she couldn't really see me (not that she would necessarily be looking). I was getting bored and thought about taking some photos or checking my email when a streak of chicken went by. And I do mean streak. She shot out of her nest like a canon ball to the water dish, flew across the patio to her feeding area, and tucked in. Considering she had not eaten for 24 hours, I wasn't surprised at her haste, but as always was taken aback at just how fast she can be. This is her home:

While she was happily (or exhaustedly) taking her dust bath, I crept over with a basket to raid the eggs if I could find them. I confess, if I had a desk at that moment to bang my head on, well let's just say, the nest was a bit more obvious than I expected - if you knew where to look. There they were, these pretty little perfect eggs, still warm from her feathered mothering. Without a qualm in the world, they were in the basket and I was creeping into the house.

Her response when she realized her eggs were gone was heartbreaking. At first she looked confused, then pissed off. She kept checking where they were and then where they might be. If I didn't know it would be for her own good and health, I would've felt like a monster. But within half an hour, she was back to tearing up my garden with all the aplomb of a lady who knows that the game is not over, and she has many tricks under her wing.

Listening to a wiser friend makes a breakthrough

I thought about what a wise friend said about chickens and decided to do some sleuthing. She mentioned that chickens are not noted for their brains, though in the case of Ninja, she does have a great deal of cunning. So with her being broody, I had to adjust how to think about the problem.

I was giving Ninja too much credit and not enough credit at all. When Ninja came out for brunch today I decided to just stand still at the back door and watch her. She chowed down like a starving hyena, gave herself a nice dust bath, ran like wild dogs were after her to the water dish, and then -- wait for it -- disappeared into the spider plants we have all along our back wall. Watching her go in, I could distinctly see the little tunnel she has created.

Interestingly, we had been looking along that area, but the mistake was thinking she would choose to be closer to the wall. And admittedly, the spider plants form such a dense thicket it is impossible for the human eye to see through them. Now, I'm not making the rookie mistake of disturbing her (for the third time) on her nest -- even though, in my defense, the second time was an accident. So, the plan is to wait until she's scarfing down the delectable veggies and chicken feed brunch menu tomorrow, sneak over to the spider plants, and do a thorough search for what must be now about 20 or so eggs. If it works, it might shake her out of the broody blues and get her happily tearing up my garden in search of insects and other goodies.

Of course, it's only a matter of time before she does this all over again and we will be searching for a new nest. Last I looked, they didn't have any books written for chickens on how babies are made, so the hope that she will realize her attentiveness is pointless. I'm just relieved that, so far at least, she is still choosing to opt for the relative safety of our yard.