Passionately Curious
On Saturday, Steve hung up a new toy for the chickens to play with. I don’t know who had more fun with the shiny chicken bauble, the chickens or me taking photos of them.
One thing I’ve learned about chickens is that they are such curious things. They come running to whatever side of the run that I’m standing on and explore by pecking at anything that catches the attention of their round bright eyes.
My Buff Orpingtons love to satisfy their curiosity by pecking at my belt, jewelry, and the bright colored vines and birds that decorate my rubber boots.
The Australorps have the same curiosity. They approach to see what’s going on and you can see the desire to get closer, but they are a much more fearful bird than the Buffs.
Their fear stops them from joining in any chicken games, and it also usually means they lose out on treats. I try to put a pile over in the corner they huddle in, but my movement sends them off, squawking in protest, and they lose out again.
So which chicken would you rather be? The fun loving, brave Buffs? Or the Australorps, who appear to be direct descendants of the fabled Chicken Little, believing that a falling acorn means that the sky is falling?
I think about how my horse Luke used to be when he first came into my life. He was pretty much a chicken too, shying at leaves fluttering or a gate swinging to and fro. He’s grown into a calm, confident horse.
I included the quote from Einstein, because what better example of what curiosity (better yet passionate curiosity) can do for a person and how it can benefit the world. I believe that being curious is what leads to great discoveries. I so wish more people – especially our political leaders, special interest groups and those who cover politics – would be more curious and less certain that they know the one and only answer and anyone who says or thinks anything different is someone to belittle or discount with a label.
Curiosity is what leads me to take a closer look at the textured bark of a tree and the strange wonder of how plants spread their seeds. And from there, imagination takes over as I see those seeds, heavy with thoughts, ideas and dreams, carried by the wind and an open, inquisitive mind.
I would definitely be a brave buff!! Love chickens, they are actually very pretty! I am trying to talk my OH into getting chickens some day… it’s not working so well!
Luke is such a pretty boy!!
Paint Girl – Me too! If your OH has ever had lots of chickens and especially if he had to butcher them, he may have some bad memories. But only having a few and no butchering, they’re pretty easy to take care of.
Love the chicken toy and the photos! That would make a great gift for some of my chicken keeping friends. Where do you find something like that? Beautiful post and I also love the last two paragraphs.
I had chickens growing up and one of my fondest memories in my younger years was going to the chicken coop and gathering eggs. I loved it!
I don’t think my OH has ever had chickens, that is pobably something I should ask though. When we first met he wouldn’t even eat eggs. It took years for me to get him to eat an egg and now he loves them! So there is still a litte bit of hope in having chickens someday!
I’m so happy the girls are “producing” finally…as I recall it takes a while. And the photos of the chickens discovering themselves in the mirrored sphere are almost as funny as you…reflected, taking photos! Your animals look beautiful and healthy!
-Lynn
oh, and I love the new banner! Change is good.