A total thief.
- At August 21, 2011
- By Molly Chester
-
11
One egg short for my Mango Coconut Milk Ice Cream... my feet burn on the hot bricks as I cross the path towards the quiet coop. Out for the day, their clucking and leaf shuffling sits on the edge of ear-shot, so I slip confidently past the open door. One nest sits empty, two empty… shoot. Last nest, there she sits, our broody hen. Not only is she broody, but our roosters are little banyan fellas, which are miniature. Cute, but they don’t seem to have the logistical height necessary to be effective. Meaning, a little short for our tall, sexy hens… if you get my drift. So, she sits all day to no avail. Poor lady.
Being that I’m new to this whole farming venture, I’ve yet to acquire the courage to reach under her. Plus, we don’t know each other very well. And, it feels like you should have at least established a bit of a rapport before shoving your greedy paw under someone’s bum. Maybe with the new chicks that arrive Monday. Once I’ve wiped poo from their behinds as babies, I might feel like sneaking a little egg is nothing.
So instead, I check my pride at the door and grab the nearest stick to encourage our little miss to scoot. Scoot she does with the loudest SQUAWK you’re ever gonna hear, which sends our overly confident, napoleon-complex rooster into a tizzy. He’s back in the coop and sitting on the upset hen’s head before I’ve had the time to even grab my loot. I’m still not sure why he sat on her head. I don’t think that would work very well in the human world.
To make matters worse, the second rooster stood in the doorway like a bouncer in Manhattan. So, I did what any self-respecting egg thief with little to no farming experience would do… I swung that stick around and bolted.
Will you do me a favor and remind me of my cowardice in about two years?
Oh, and I did make the ice cream, which by the way, is the BEST homemade ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Mom created this recipe, and I shared it on the National Mango Board Blog, my first post as their Mango Mentor. Thanks to you all and your voting. I’m loving my iPad, and since I can’t share that with you (even though a few people asked), I offer the tiding of this recipe, because it’s almost as good.
He tried...
And he succeeded.
Click HERE for the Mango Coconut Milk Ice Cream recipe…
* After I wrote this post, three of our chickens were lost to the neighbors dog. It was a very sad day, but I decided to post this anyway, in memorandum.
Marla
Sorry to hear about the loss of your chickens….we can all become happy again with this mango ice cream. Love mango!
susan
I am so sorry for your loss. That mangy mutt, I hope he got his! I am loving reading about your new life on the farm. I can hear in your writing voice that you are perfectly content! x
Amanda
Oh Molly!!! I am so sorry. Here I was reading this post and just adoring it. I felt like I had just opened a well worn book to my favorite chapter and was snuggled up in a big chair about to embark on a literary journey. Excellent writing, and I am sure excellent recipe! But what a bummer that they were soon gone. I appreciate your memorial… thank you for still posting!
Judie Dixon
Molly, I throughly enjoyed your blog. So well written ! I am assuming you are a professional author from what little I have had the pleasure to read. I have been enjoying the posts on Johns facebook page as to the ongoing adventures happening on your farm. I look forward to more of both .
Judie Dixon
P.S. Don’t let that Hen push you around !
Georgia Pellegrini
I remember when I saw one of my chickens actually lay the egg. I walked by at just the right moment and it was such a cool thing to witness. Nature is amazing :)
Mom
Thank goodness my granddogger got a lick of that luscious ice cream. Well done Toddy!
aida mollenkamp
Sorry to hear about your loss, but this is a great post in their memory.
Nancy@acommunaltable
Molly,
So sorry about the loss of your chickens – we like to think that all animals get along but the sad truth is they don’t – the downside I suppose of “Mother Nature”.
The ice cream however, sounds divine and a fitting tribute to your chickens!
charlies
I’m sorry for your loss.
Lucy Lean
farming is cruel for the most part and only occasionally does the beauty shine through – most often in the eating.
:-(
“…I decided to post this anyway, in memorandum.”
Memorandum: a note, document or other communication that helps the memory by recording events or observations on a topic, such as may be used in a business office.
In memoriam: a Latin phrase that translates directly as ‘in memory of’, examples of its uses can be found in obituaries and in epitaphs.