RIP Mad Irene

When you have pets of any kind, you know that the time will come when you have to say goodbye to them.  They have a certain lifespan, just as we do.   We recently had to say our farewells to our lovely Mad Irene.   She has generously left us with some terrific memories, all of which bring us laughter and smiles.  What a legacy!

She had two passions in her life - digging and stealing.  She had a formidable talent for excavating the deepest holes, often in the most awkward places.  Last year she gouged out a series of deep chasms just inside the entrance to the main run.  She carefully placed them in two rows, leaving a narrow path in the middle for our use.  "Walking the straight and narrow" took on a whole new meaning.  Stray off the path and stumble into one of Irene's craters, and you might never be seen again!

You also took a chance if you stood behind her when she was in quarrying mode.  She had a very forceful kick.   We've seen her send earth and stones arcing across the garden, to land yards away from where it started.  And if digging was precluded for some reason, she would get what she wanted some other way.  For instance we had stacked some wooden blocks on a concrete ledge that runs along the bottom of our fence.  Irene was convinced there was corn hidden beneath them, but the ledge was too narrow for her to stand on and kick the blocks off.  So she hooked them off with her beak and then kicked them across the lawn.

Irene considers the apple Tu-Tu has is rightfully hers!

She spent a lot of time rushing around checking that the rest of the flock didn't have something that was rightfully hers.  Many a poor worm has been yanked out of another chicken's beak, only to find itself in Irene's crop.  As she considered us fully paid up members of the chicken run, we also found ourselves relieved of sandwiches, toast and cake at various times.

We shall miss Mad Irene enormously, but what joy and laughter she brought into our lives.