Thank you all, especially the new members who have joined us.
A funny story about Suede that had my heart in my chest for a few seconds, but that both Cetawin and I laugh about today:
A few years ago, she sent me some whole grain blueberry pancake mix so I would make Suede his favorite blueberry pancakes. I made them, cut them up on a plate, sat them on the deck just outside my kitchen door, and brought Suede up onto the wraparound porch, leaving his hens in their pen, so he would get all of them himself and they would not be scarfed down by his piggy women (who naturally don't care if their man starves to death, like all hens).
I placed him in front of the plate full of blueberry goodness and say, "Look, Suede, pancakes from your best pal in Kentucky!". He grabs a bite, turns, and before I can shout and grab him*believe me, I tried* he turns and launches himself off the deck, which is over 5 feet above the ground, to take that bite to his women! I gasp, and hold my breath, until he hits dirt, fully expecting him to have broken a leg, what with all that force of his 14 lb weight hitting the hard packed ground from that height, but no! He trots off at full speed toward the pen, carrying that chunk of pancake in his beak to feed his girls, without so much as a sprain. I gave up and took the plate of pancake to the pen, let the girls out and he had a great time eating a little and feeding them most of it. Pics below of the event:
