The writer Willa Cather wrote "Success is never so interesting as struggle." While that is true, I am glad this runaway chicken is back in custody. Frankly I was getting tired of walking around the yard failing to capture this chicken. Every day of freedom made her a little more wily. I was pretty sure I would catch her tonight. I got home at 9:15 pm and looked for her in her usual roosting spot - near the trunk of a blue spruce tree surrounded by poky sharp branches. She wasn't there! So I searched the neighboring trees, the wood pile, the deck, the driveway, the coop, and the entire yard making a large circle back to the same spruce tree. The full moon helped me see better. Coming from the other side, I saw her eye reflect the light from my flashlight. She was perched close to the trunk on the other side of the spruce and 5 feet higher than before. Now she was higher than my head. This wasn't going to be easy. I turned off my flashlight and stuck it in the waist band of my pants. I moved closer. Her branch swayed a little. She stood up. I was ready for this. I had my knee boots on, a raincoat to protect me from the sharp stabs, my hood up to protect my hair from getting tangled. and gardening gloves on. Safety glasses would have come in handy but I didn't have those. She was too close to the trunk for me to get one hand on either side of her so I grabbed her back and her breast and hung on tight. She squawked and flapped her wings. I held her tight. She was mine. As I carried her across the yard back to her home I gave her a talking to out loud and with much emphasis. The guilt? I laid it on as thick as I could. I told her, "All I ever wanted for you is to give you a safe home with clean water, good food and companionship. Why did you give me so much trouble? You acted like I was trying to kill you when all I have ever done is care for you. Is this the thanks I deserve? All I ask in return is to come home and lay an occasional egg. I'm a vegetarian for Pete's sake!"
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