chicken

A sweet chicken postcard from my mom.

My love affair with chickens and chicken imagery began when I was a student at UC Santa Cruz and I moved into a house that came with a flock. How I loved those hens! The rooster, I must admit, was a bit intimidating. I loved collecting the beautiful brown eggs. And the hatchlings? I never tired of holding those fuzzy chicks and watching them grow into gawky pullets.

When I am trying to sleep (doesn't come easy for me), and I want to take myself to a safe and comfortable place, there are two sensory memories which I summon. The first is the sound of the water lapping along the canal in Venice, Italy heard from the twin bed of our pensione when Jack and I were honeymooning. The second is the tweet-tweeting of my baby chicks waking me every morning at sunrise (I brought the chicks to my bedroom every night to keep them safe from foxes, cats, feral dogs and all the other predators of the Santa Cruz mountains).

I am lucky to live in an urban area that is very chicken-friendly. Maybe some will join us soon?