Lost and Found

The girls have really been enjoying their new found freedom - perhaps a little too much. Allow me to explain; As mentioned before, we've been enjoying the Spring and daily chicken playtime. I was feeling more lax with each play session, wandering further from the flock and then eventually going inside for a few minutes at a time. A few minutes turned into longer and longer blocks of time. Each time I came outside, the girls were faithfully at the back stoop, in their little cluster, pecking for bugs. So imagine my shock when last week I came out and did the cursory head count and only found 3! Unfortunately, BCF jr. was with me. I said not to panic, but I think he heard the panic in my voice. In a nanosecond I had visions of the neighbourhood bald eagles having a feast. I looked frantically for signs of a struggle, like feathers or other less savory things found at a crime scene. The remaining three watched me from the safety of beneath the stoop. We sent out our two man search party around the perimeter of the yard. After making it three quarters of the way around, BCF jr. lost composure and sobbed right in the middle of the hostas. I assured him that we would find the lost chicks. I was amazed and slightly shocked at how easily I lied. I was equally amazed with what I did next. I said to BCF jr. "Let's pray." Now, I don't take prayer lightly and I don't want to teach my son that God is the big dispensing machine in the sky, but I felt that it would be ok with God ,if at this moment, I made a bold prayer. If it was answered differently than expected, I would take that as another teaching opportunity (i.e. sometimes God says no....) I said "Dear God, you know we've lost our chickens and we really miss them. Would you return them to us really soon. Thanks in advance, amen" In another nanosecond I quickly calculated when the next "chick day" was at the feed store and wondered at how easy it would be to introduce them to the surviving members of the original flock. We circled around again, and then broadened our search to outside the confines of the yard. I searched the boulevard and even across the street. I went out front and stopped my sister-in-law in her car. "I've lost some chickens!" It sounded so ridiculous coming out of my mouth. She shared my concern - I thought it kind that she didn't laugh. I continued to alternately search and console the now fully grieving BCF jr. As I stood on the front sidewalk and recounted my tale of loss to my other sister-in-law (who kindly offered to join the search party) I was suddenly aware that I was being watched. There, in front of my house, strutting in the front garden, were the missing chicks! They looked as surprised to see me as I was to see them. I fixed that gap in the fence.