Today was a total waste of time and space; probably shouldn't have even been on the calendar.
Normally, I get a lot done on Sunday, after sleeping in for a little while because it's the quietest morning of the week, but not today and you want to know why? I'll tell you why. A damn stray rooster that's why. In addition, that is, to my neighbor's barking dog.I know there are some folks around here who keep chickens...I almost ran over a chicken crossing the road right down the street one day...I kid you not...and I'm assuming it came from one of those places but no one can tell me where these chicken people live and no one has come around looking for a lost rooster. This rooster has been hanging around for about a week now and I've been trying to get someone out here to collect it - a rescue group, a chicken person...I even put a posting on Craigslist - but with no success.
Initially, this rooster wasn't bothering me and I was more afraid he'd get run over in the street or my barking dog neighbor would shoot him (he shoots at stray cats and probably other small mammels as well). It never even occurred to me that the thing would begin disturbing the peace. But in the last couple of days Harley has been barking more than usual (if you can believe that) and I realized he, and Cherokee, the normally quiet one, have been barking at this rooster. Great. So now the dog who barks at falling leaves has yet another reason to be barking...
Then this morning, at some ungodly hour before sunrise, I woke up and heard a rooster crowing. I'm not sure if this crowing is exactly what woke me up, because since being awakened several times a night throughout 2009 and early 2010 by Harley's big mouth I have not been able to sleep all night without waking up at least once, or if it was just coincidence. I think I went back to sleep...I'm almost certain I did because next I knew it was a couple hours later (but it didn't feel like it) and Harley & Cherokee were raising hell. Sigh.
So I finally got up, went downstairs, and noticed the rooster right outside of the dining room window, which by the way is under my bedroom, pecking around under the bird feeder...so I ran outside in my pajamas and robe, looked around and didn't see anything to be barking at on Harley's side of my yard and so in a voice I'm sure they heard for a few blocks around I told the dogs to SHUT UP...and I'm pleased to report that they did. Then I went around to the other side and chased the rooster off making sure he made his exit toward the back and not around toward the front where he inevitably would have instigated more barking.
A little while later Harley was barking again but as I got ready to go out to shut him up again he suddenly stopped barking and I noticed both dogs running to their back door, so apparently one of their rude, irresponsible owners heard me the first time (it's about time) and decided to get off their lazy ass and do the right thing for once. Don't get me wrong, I know the rude people didn't let the dogs go inside; I know they just gave them a treat or breakfast in an attempt to distract them from whatever was motivating them to bark but of course we all know they were just enforcing the barking behavior by doing so. No wonder the rude people's human children have so many emotional and behavioral problems.
So that was the beginning of my lovely Sunday, the day that is usually the quietest day of the week since there is little traffic in the morning, and now I'm in a foul mood over fowls and foul dog barking...and rude neighbors who can't or won't control their dogs or chickens.
If one keeps chickens for the sake of having ones own organic, humane eggs, does one need to have a rooster about as well? So much for that future idea.
I recently told my husband that at this point in time I'd gladly live in a single wide trailer - although it would be quite the culture shock after living in a 3600 sq. ft. house - if it was parked in the middle of a large acreage with no neighbors, no roads, and no dogs within sight or hearing distance.And I mean it. Can we just make it an Air Stream, please???
