15th October 2006

More statues from the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

I have been under a cloud of some sadness lately. One of the reasons was the disappearance of Chook. She’s been gone for over a week.

Since I’ve lived here, whenever I’m home Chook has been there. You can see her looking through the front door, or standing just outside the low bathroom window looking in, or digging holes in the front lawn for a dust bath, or scratching about under the trees at the side of the house.

She is nearly always waiting in the driveway when I get home from work, even though I finish at different times.

So, I thought something bad had happened. Maybe that hawk she’s always looking out for finally got her.

I was sweeping all the dried Chook pooh off the verandah, and went out the back to shake the dust out of the door mat. There was Chook! It was almost a romantic scene, we were so happy to see each other. I fed her, and she was RAVENOUS. She made noises I haven’t heard before while she was scoffing down some multi grain bread. I don’t think she’d eaten anything substantial since she’s been gone.

I followed her, after her meal. She did a bit of preening, then carefully picked her way through a tiny entrance under one of the fir trees beside my house. She must be sitting on eggs! But, no rooster around, so I fear she is putting herself through this hardship for nothing.

Although, Garry and I did see a rooster wandering around a few hundred metres up the road (chickens run free here, probably since the pivotal role they played in the Cows With Guns revolution of 1996).

But I don’t like the chances of them having found each other – she is a quiet chook.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

(Sung with pride and fervour, chest out:

We will fight for bovine freedom

And hold our large heads high…..)

(c) Andrew Calder

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