The Great Jailbreak of 2012

Sunday mornings are supposed to be quiet.  At least that's the rule in Cranky's world.  I hadn't been up that long and was hanging out with the pups in our super-airconditioned office when J. burst in and brought our tranquility to a screeching halt.

"Your chickens are in the neighbors yard."  He said it rather breathlessly as well, I might add.  Like he had just ran up the stairs.

My first thought was "Now how that could be?" and then quickly raced to thoughts of the roving dogs in the neighborhood, chicken rustlers intent on stealing them for a free chicken dinner, the owls that live next door and other scary images.  My poor chickens could have befallen a terrible fate.  But all I could croak out  in my still-sleep-addled state was 'What?!"

"Your chickens are out of the coop and in the neighbor's yard.  Apparently, we didn't close the door to the run last night and they got out."

Ah, well, actually what happened is that I thought J. had shut the door when he put Henrietta back in the coop and he thought I did it.  Oops.  Big oops.  I am now wide awake.

I debated running out there in my jammies (which is a t-shirt and shorts) but thought I better get a little more presentable and put on a bra and some shoes.  After all, I did have to go over to the neighbors.  So, like a flash, I was down the stairs and out the door.  I don't think my foot even hit the back porch as I sprinted across the yard.  And what do I see?

Taken from our yard and the coop is just to the right of me inside our fence.  There's an opening in the vinyl fence to the left where the driveway comes in (and no gate). Did they wander past here, through the driveway opening and back down the outside of the chain link?

Seven chickens on the wrong side of the fence staring back at me.  They are nervously trying to figure out how to get back to their coop but the darn fence is in the way.  We can see it - why can't we get there!?  I have no idea if they flew over there or if they somehow wandered around the 50 feet of vinyl fence and then down the side past 60 feet of chain link.  I think they flew, since they don't like to be too far from home and that would be a long walk where 1/2 the time they wouldn't be able to see their house.  For those of you who didn't know it, chickens are homebodies.  At least mine are.

So I trudge through the neighbors yard and landscaping, which I am hoping doesn't consist of any poison ivy and try to grab them and put them back over the fence.  It quickly is apparent that isn't going to work.  So I try shooing them back down the fenceline.  But they get nervous about not being able to see their house and dart between my legs and back down the fence.

Aha!  But we are smart humans.  J. grabs the mealworms and as we throw them behind us, the chooks follow us around the fence like a couple of pied pipers.

Where was #8?   Still in the coop.  But she came out to give everyone a scolding and a welcome back. 

Reunited!  (Now tell me you can't read that word and immediately channel Peaches and Herb. Be honest!)

I love happy endings.  And lesson learned....I will always double-check the doors to ensure there are no more chicken jailbreaks in the future.

I'm sharing with this week's Country Garden Showcase.