This happened a few months ago but I haven't been around much to post. I got a real kick out of it.
As you know guineas consider themselves the inspectors of all unusual items in their environment. If they don't like something, they will definitely let you know.
I have an old hat. It's not particularly unusual, it's your basic knit winter cap in a bright royal blue straight out of the 1970s, back when you could only get two colors of blue from the Sears catalog: royal and navy.
I use the hat as my winter chore hat, and all last year the guineas hollered whenever I wore it. I didn't think too much about it, just wrote it off to the usual guinea silliness.
This year, when I started wearing it, the noise was even worse, probably because we have a younger set of guineas that hadn't seen it before.
One day I got impatient with their noise and decided to explain it to them. So picture me, on a frosty morning, all bundled up standing in front of the coop while the free-ranging guineas who have just gotten out for the morning stand around me hollering.
I took off the hat and waved it at the guineas. "It's just a hat! Hat, hat, hat!" Put it back on, take it off again. "It is not a monster, it is a hat. It is not hurting me, it is not hurting you!!" I laid the hat down on the concrete blocks that we use to step up into the coop, and went about my business of cleaning coops and replenishing feed.
A couple of minutes later I heard little guinea noises and peeked around. Sure enough, four brave guineas had come to inspect the scary and dangerous hat. They finished their inspection satisfactorily, and strolled off to report to the others.
I completed my chores, came back out of the coop, put on my hat, and went about my business.
Ever since that day I have done chores in my scary blue hat, surrounded by peaceful and silent guineas.
As you know guineas consider themselves the inspectors of all unusual items in their environment. If they don't like something, they will definitely let you know.
I have an old hat. It's not particularly unusual, it's your basic knit winter cap in a bright royal blue straight out of the 1970s, back when you could only get two colors of blue from the Sears catalog: royal and navy.
I use the hat as my winter chore hat, and all last year the guineas hollered whenever I wore it. I didn't think too much about it, just wrote it off to the usual guinea silliness.
This year, when I started wearing it, the noise was even worse, probably because we have a younger set of guineas that hadn't seen it before.
One day I got impatient with their noise and decided to explain it to them. So picture me, on a frosty morning, all bundled up standing in front of the coop while the free-ranging guineas who have just gotten out for the morning stand around me hollering.
I took off the hat and waved it at the guineas. "It's just a hat! Hat, hat, hat!" Put it back on, take it off again. "It is not a monster, it is a hat. It is not hurting me, it is not hurting you!!" I laid the hat down on the concrete blocks that we use to step up into the coop, and went about my business of cleaning coops and replenishing feed.
A couple of minutes later I heard little guinea noises and peeked around. Sure enough, four brave guineas had come to inspect the scary and dangerous hat. They finished their inspection satisfactorily, and strolled off to report to the others.
I completed my chores, came back out of the coop, put on my hat, and went about my business.
Ever since that day I have done chores in my scary blue hat, surrounded by peaceful and silent guineas.
