Such is life – such is death.
It is an excellent saying in all languages.
Life came to Orange Acres this past week while I was on vacation in the form of baby chicks. Cute little fuzzy flightless descendants of velociraptors that have captured my heart.
Mama bird had a clutch of 9 – 6 hatched out healthy baby chicks – two died and we had one dud egg.
Their life begins.
Death came to Orange Acres today when our beloved pet chicken – Fitzy (Fitzgerald) passed away.
Now I know some of you may be laughing or at least smirking right now.
“It’s just a chicken” you may be thinking.
I gotta tell ya- Fitzy – she was more than just a chicken.
Fitzy (Fitzgerald) was the other half of Ella/Fitzgerald. Two beat up old hens that I got from a petting zoo.
Ella unfortunately died this past summer and Fitzy soon became a fave of mine. I would pick her up and carry her around to get the mail and we hung out and sit in the sun. We would have a glass of wine (well I would) – she would snuggle up on my lap and I would feed bits of apple or turnip and we would have a nice chat. (I’m not crazy – just for the record – my mother had me tested)
Lately she had been getting slower and thinner and I knew her time was coming.
Unfortunately – time caught up to her. Today when Hubs got home she was laying in the coop- just listless and down.
So we brought her in and put her under the heat lamp and tried to bring her back to life but it was too late. Cruel time was ticking away. Hubs and I stayed with her while she took her last breath and I held her in my arms – in the sun.
Her life ended.
Today – we are mourning the loss of Fitzy.
She was a good bird and a great friend. Fitzy was my go to bird when people wanted to “hold a chicken” – when children wanted to pet a chicken and when I wanted to just hang with a chicken.
Scoff if you will but we will hold a proper memorial for her and I will add her name to the monument with Trigger, Ella, Clyde and C2 when the weather is warmer.
I am going to miss that bird.
(pics of my daughter and Fitzy)
Orange Acres 