Many of you are aware that I recently made a trip home for a family emergency.  I’m happy to report that all is well on that front (and getting better every day).  Usually I have leisure time to take pictures of the homestead and the assortment of non-human residents at my parents’ casa in Mississippi.  Alas, I only had time to snap three photos on my way out of town. I thought I’d share them with you since I haven’t included any CHICKENS in the kittybunnychicken in a long while.

Meet Floppy, my parents’ “pet” chicken with the overgrown goofy-lookin’ comb.

I resemble that remark!

I put “pet” in quotes because none of Mamma & Daddy’s chickens are really pets in the sense that my former chickens were.  But since Floppy gets extra attention because she’s weird-looking, she’s figured out that being friendly can be advantageous to a chicken in terms of getting extra treats.  Floppy has learned that if she flies up to the ledge of the picture window in the dining room, she can usually get a human to meet her at the back door with a piece of stale bread or left-over pizza.  I tried to get her picture in the window, but every time I aimed the camera at her she jumped down.  Floppy HATES the Paparazzi!  I kept trying to catch her and hold her, but she was elusive. I did, however, train her in a matter of five minutes to let me pet her between bites, and to jump, a’ la Daisy, for her treats.  Whoever coined the term “Bird Brained” was definitely NOT talking about chickens.  These guys are geniuses when it comes to chow!

By far the most beloved pets on the Dobbs’ Farm are Snoopy & Lucy, the spoiled-rotten beagles and the apple of Peg’s eye.

Canine Cuties

These pups live the good life for sure.  Mom has a “bedroom” for them off the garage with a doggie door and a mattress with blankets.  At night they actually go lie down and Mom comes in to read them a bedtime story and cover them with an old quilt.  OK, I made up the part about the bedtime story, but she really does cover them, and they stay that way all night until they get up early in the morning for their daily hunting party.  Peggy has always been a persnickity housekeeper and would never let any of our pets live inside when we were kids.  Now these ladies have the run of the house and enjoy naps on her leather sofa.  On second thought, I do remember Grunt, my pet pig, watching Gilligan’s Island with me after school on occasion.

Peggy and her Pups

Mom will kill me when she realizes I posted a picture of her in her fancy Japanese Jammies!  At least I’m far away in Montgomery now where she can’t reach me with a switch. 🙂