Shenanigans! (Saturday, Nov. 27)

On Jenny & Jean-Marc's last day, we went into Chickamauga to do a little pre-Christmas shopping.  I found Kara this delightful hat in one of my favorite shops, and I was crushed that she didn't want me to buy it for her!

I think she was worried about the fate that feathered beings tend to have on Zephyr Hill Farm!

When we went out to feed in the evening, Jenny and Jean-Marc posed for a picture with Zephyr, who was not amused!

They've been trying to help her lose weight, so they got her to run to the barn with them--and then chase sticks until she was so tired she actually laid down on top of the stick!

While Zephyr took a break, Jenny taught Hero to fetch.  He seemed to catch on, and we hope he decides that it's more fun than chewing on our belongings or chasing chickens!

Then it was time to try to tempt Zephyr to play fetch again.  Doesn't Tug of War burn calories, too?

After everyone else had gone in, I heard the Boss Rooster crowing from somewhere I couldn't see.  I followed the sound and found him--in the chicken coop with Gypsy, Victoria and Esmerelda.

He's quite a big, splendid guy.  Interestingly, his head and neck are the reddest of all our roosters, and he's also one of the only one who has all his tail feathers.  It's too cold at night to sit out there and observe the chickens, but my theory is that he pecks off the tail feathers of the underdogs to keep them from being beautiful.

He knows he's beautiful (well, if you're a Naked Neck!), and he preened himself as he sidled nearer and nearer to poor Gypsy.  He ended up pecking her to make her jump down so he could get next to Victoria.  I guess it takes a Boss Rooster to appreciate a Boss Chicken, but the Boss Chicken definitely did not appreciate him!  He finally got the message and left!