Yippee! I'm home - thank you one and all. Thanks Betsy for your generous offer of a safe haven if I needed it. You were right - I was just past your turn off when I got your message. Now that I'm home safe and looking back at the trip - it really wasn't all that bad. There were a few times out west when the wind turned the blowing snow into whiteout conditions for a while - and there were more than a few people out without their lights on! Don't forget to turn on your lights if you must go out.
Now for my report:
I had a great time with my family - I got to see all of my aunts, uncles and cousins on my dad's side of the family. The only people who didn't make it were my brother and his family. We ate tons and played a lot of games....and I brought lots of food and treats home with me. Plus, it seems Teach gave me an entire deer, so bring on the blizzard - I'm set!
On my way out Tuesday I had the privilege of touring Betsy's Silkie and Showgirl Emporium as well as SplitSocket222's Oriental GameFowl Preserve. Talk about both ends of the chicken spectrum! I never knew there was so much variety. I had never actually touched a Silkie-feathered bird until I was at Betsy's. I can understand the fascination with these birds - they are truly wonders of nature - I might have to get some someday so I can spend more time examining them - their black faces, blue earlobes, all that fluffy fluffiness. I really liked the Showgirls, too!
I seem to remember a scene from the first Jurassic Park movie in which the family looks out across a plain and sees hundreds of "flocks" of different dinosaurs grazing together peacably. That's just what SplitSocket's place is like. His birds are spectacular. I didn't think I was a fan of Asils, Shamos, Cubalayas and Siapans, but I am now. I think I may be able to tell a bantam Shamo from a bantam Asil now...and the Saipan's with their snaky necks! And the CUBALAYAS! So many vibrant colors - and they are deservedly proud creatures!
Although they are both modest to a fault, Betsy and Richard are generous about sharing their knowledge and I learned a lot - but I don't know how much of it will stick! One of the most interesting things to me was listening to them ask each other questions. It's also very apparent that they really care about their birds - the history and preservation of the breeds, their habitat and nutrition, and both breeders will take great measures to nurse ailing individuals back to health.
Teach and his younger son Clayton both seemed very please and excited about their new chickens! Titus tried to train Roy and Clayton to throw a ball, but they didn't do that great at it. Titus says they may be examples of those "untrainable humans," but I think they were just too anxious to see their new birds!
