Chicken Sitting

Last weekend I started my summer gig of chicken sitting for some friends in North Seattle (where the Seattle garden lives). Lee & Rob are taking the great American road trip; 9 weeks on the road seeing family and friends. Sounds like it's going to be an amazing trip!

I will be sharing their home, garden and chickens with Jamie & Sarah, and it all started last weekend. I arrived at the house Saturday night after a catering job, and went to say hello to the girls. They eyed me with suspicion when they realized I was not their momma. Because I got over close to dusk, I didn't let them out to play. I gave them a treat, collected the eggs and checked the food situation. The next morning, they were anxiously awaiting for me to get out of bed. After a little coffee, the girls got 5 hours of blissful dust baths, bug eating, general milling around time. I did a little re-seeding of the garden, to which they were extremely interested in.

Around 3:30, I needed to rally them back into the run so I could get on my way to the winery staff party. Lee said all I needed to do was snap my fingers at them, and they would go back into the run, no problem... Phlueezee! She must have the momma means business snap, because they were not having it! Scott had to help me wrangle them in, and while quite comical, I know I need to refine my strategy!