CHICKIE STORY - Chapter 1

THE CHICKIE STORY

Before I go straight into this unusual story, here's a little background info:

The roosters and hens all seek refuge at "The Jungle Properties" (a vacation rental escape - 2 cottages situated between 2 streams & chicken paradise).

"L.J" (a Rooster) came to the property injured - and I, being the softy that I am, was determined to nurture him back to health.

LJ was named by one of the vacationers who frequent the rental cottages, and quite quickly; LJ became the Jungle Properties "Mascot" & was well loved & pampered by all who came through. (By the way: if by chance one of you were the guest of the "Jungle Bungalow" who supplied L.J with this "personalized" bowl: I never got a chance to thank you for your donation!!! -- so... Thank you!)

But, sadly his life was cut short by a neighbor's hunting dog....

Being that I had only recently (prior to meetin LJ) lost my sweet little fur-baby love of my life(small terrier mix doggy) and had then grown so attached to L.J., I was heart-broken yet AGAIN.

However.... where there is an open heart, there is one to fill it somewhere where & when you least expect it.

My landlord had told me I am not allowed dogs... or cats... <<JUST SLIT MY THROAT, WHY DON'T YOU?>> ....Finally we came to a compromise. He said I can have a BIRD. I spent quite a deal of time looking for Cockateil breeders (as I was a breeder once as well, and of all the parrots and birds I've ever raised; I have a special fondness for them) - But no luck...

And so, broken hearted; I returned to the Jungle Properties for my usual routine checks on the cottages....

It was Easter Sunday, 2005....

Immediately a screaming little chick sound came to my attention - from way back in the jungle brush somewhere in the pouring rain. Without knowing what laid ahead of me, i went into the jungle to seek out the urgent CHEEPS for help.

Sure enough: there he/she was - A little helpless fur-ball lodged inside of a big jungle plant (as seen in such movies as "Jurassic Park")(Which was filmed here, by the way). I couldn't just turn my back on the chick -- COULD YOU???? (and besides... it was EASTER SUNDAY. Couldn't there have been a stronger message there?) ....and being that I could not find a mother hen anywhere in sight, I brought the chick home.

I immediately got on my computer and contacted my friends in my online group forum to see if ANYONE there could offer me some HELP (as i did not know how to care for a baby chick).

Via the assistance from a group member from my online forum: I was placed in contact with Sandra, "The Chicken Expert", in Montana who immediately called me (all the way from MONTANA to HAWAII!!) & guided me with full step-by-step instructions on how to save this chick's life.

**SANDRA, "THE Chicken Expert", can be reached at: mailto:fiegis@montanadsl.net (She raises an AMAZING array of various breeds of chickens and other birds that I know very little about - and is INCREDIBLY knowledgeable. Hence; THE Chicken Expert)

(Would you believe: A group forum having nothing to do with chickiens, hard-boiled EGGS and a stranger across the globe was what ultimately saved this chick's life????)

As you can see in these photos: Chickie-Meister wasted very little time in taking charge of the situation (ME) --- (and became a bit of a computer-hog if you ask me....)

...and let the inprinting begin: PRONTO

This whole deal about "inprinting" wasn't quite STRESSED to me very clearly...

Not only did I have the chick back to health and eating.... BUT NOW I HAD SIGNED SOME SORT OF CONTRACT OF MOTHER NATURE (WHICH WAS NON-NEGOTIABLE, I MIGHT ADD) - and forever destined to take over as Chickie's MOTHER HEN(!?!??)

Have you ever been a mother HEN? GOD BLESS all mother Hens. I had NO IDEA..... But... now I was Mother Hen.

....and NO: Chickie could NOT be left alone or even be burdened with having any distance (not a single MILLIMETER) from the NEW mother hen (me). This is only the begining....

Oh Lord... Help the next poor soul with the soft heart who comes across a baby chick in distress.....

This story continues and the plot thickens in the following chapters....

***IF YOU ARE READING THIS FROM THE FIRST PAGE, YOU MUST CLICK ON "THE CHICKIE STORY" AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE (don't ask me why...), THEN YOU WILL EITHER WIND UP AT THE VERY MOST RECENT POSTING AND HAVE TO BACK-TRACK DOWN TO FOLLOW THE STORY "BACKWARDS" AND SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS.... (??) I don't know.... this Blog site is not quite as user-friendly as I had hoped, but then again: WHAT can one expect for a FREE service? So, God Bless those who have set all these blogger sites up.

Enjoy! Alooooooooooha!

-Jaana