talk about an awkward pre-adolescence

Today's post is brought to you by Ivan the Terrible:

And by Elizabeth Swan:

And by daughter's "little baby hen" Maribella (who, I am suspecting more and more every day, is going to need to have his name changed):

And, finally, by Tiny:

Have I mentioned before that life gets considerably more complicated when you have four chickens living in the bathtub?

Their first day outside is going to happen soon. It was supposed to have happened already, but, unfortunately, it hasn't. Wanna know why?

Because today's post is also brought to you by the letter 'S.' As in Snow on the windows. On May FLIPPIN' twenty-second:


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hey, you know what?

Chicken butt!!!

That was one of my son's favorite jokes last year. I think I almost get it.

Here's a sweet pic of SheDog the Aussie with the two remaining pullets. The container tomatoes I planted are visible, too. I salivate in anticipation of the day we finally get to pick some fresh 'maters.

Meanwhile, it continues to feel like the Avian version of Apocalypse Now around here.

This morning, Angel caught a bird. SheDog chased her (bird guarding has become very serious business to the Aussie since the chicks were little, though she slept right through the coyote incident. Shhhh. We've told her the two missing pullets moved to a nice, big ranch.) Angel dropped the bird. The bird lived. It sat for several minutes in a state of shock, during which I figured it was a goner. Then it took off running, unable to fly because of a broken wing. I spent the better part of an hour trying to catch the thing. Call it a personal demon in need of redemption. This bird is about three inches tall, and I - armed with my sharpest wits and a pillowcase - was completely unable to get close to - much less catch - it.

So, it, too, will no doubt meet its doom here at the Brackett Bird Motel, where "Birds check in, but they don't check out!"

Here's a nice picture of Mothra, finally located after all these years by a neighbor boy in our yard. Who knew she could fly all the way from Japan to Arizona? Though I guess a critter who's able to wipe out Battra can do just about anything.

Here. Check out some Maxfield Parrish clouds I found in the sky outside our window last week:

And here's a shot of the prairie set against a nice, black cloudbank:

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