The Agrinautica

In more warm and fuzzy news...
   We currently have five young chickens (well plus a cat named Pelekea Cachaça, & a goldfish named Leviathan that lives in a flowerpot). Mother, who is a science teacher at a local jewish school, raised them from eggs in class. Now that they are older, however, they spend most of their time here and only make periodic fieldtrips to class.
   The chickies (four light yellow, one brown, no names yet) have more personality than I expected. The other day the escaped from corner of the yard mother had attempted to restrict them to. I didn't know whether or not mother had intended for them to be out and about but they seemed fine so I let them wander the yard. They spent the whole day roaming my yard in a little herd.
   At one point the cat was sitting in the very middle of them, I think because it made her feel sociable the same way being in the room the people are is appealing. Then the brown one charged at her and she ran away! Later the cat saw some grass rustling and started stalking.. then she ran and pounced and -- mid pounce realized it was not some lizard but an adolescent chicken, and aborted mid-air!
   Also often when I'd come out to check on them I'd stop about ten feet away, and one (I don't know if its the same one) will walk up to me, stop at my feet and look up at me, and then rejoin the others.


   Its not all fun and games though. Originally there were four. Unfortunately, when they were wee, a hawk landed on their cage and mauled one through the cage, killing it. Later, despite upgraded cage protection, the possum managed cart off one entirely and injure the remaining two. If there are two possums, which has been debated from the start, I think the other one should be consequently named Grendel. Also, Kristy is quite cross with the possum because of this. So as not to traumatize the children, mother got four new chicks of about the same age. One later died of a unknown causes (possibly dehydration/heat exhaustion, though water and shade were both available and the others were fine?) leaving the current five.


   As you may recall I'd previously announced we'd come into possession of some wee baby bunnies. Quick research revealed that at such a young age these bunnies would need very extensive care and were "unlikely to survive without professional assistance," and so after looking after them for maybe an hour and a half I found an animal shelter to take care of them.


Best Weekend Ever!
   This weekend is going to be the excellent.
   Firstly, tomorrow, Friday, is the official Krispalooza 2007. My birthday is actually on Monday, whereupon I turn 25. )= But as long as I'm still officially an early-twenty-something, we're all going out on Friday! Plan is BJ's (microbrewery) in Laguna Beach Hills at 8:30, then Hennessey's (pub), also in LB. Already it looks like a bunch of people can make it so its going to be a rollicking good time! You should come.
   Saturday Kristy & I are going to the Phi Alpha Delta of UC San Diego formal. For $30/person we get a five course meal, open bar for an hour, of course a dj, AND, its at Sea World! We're excited.
   Sunday as part of my birthday present, Kristy bought us tickets on a nature cruise to the Coronado Islands. We're excited!!
   And then on Monday I turn 25, aka life is over. )=