Published: October 08, 2009 10:13 am      

Christmas in October

Yesterday will go down as one of the happiest days of my life. Last night after supper, Cordy and I went out to do our chicken chores. Cordy is a great supervisor by the way. I scooped out several cups of poultry layer feed into my Whitey’s ice cream bucket and headed off to the coop carrying my stylish new blue chore boots and bright yellow chore gloves. Let me tell you, every night is truly a Kodak moment. While I get ready to go see my girls, Cordy patiently waits for me on our small patio area in the backyard, which faces the chicken coop.

Every time I open the door, my girls rush right over to see me. However, I really think they are more fascinated with my new boots than they are with me. Anyway, my girls are growing by leaps and bounds these days. On Oct. 15, my girls will be 4 months old. It just seems like yesterday that they came in the mail from the Murray McMurray Hatchery and I cradled each little chick in the palm of my hand. How cute is that?

After I poured more feed into their feeder last night, something magnificent caught my eye. For a split second I heard nothing, not even my heart beating or a chick clucking. And then, I saw the most beautiful thing lying in a nest surrounded by pine wood shavings — an egg! My first egg! I slowly walked over to the nest, picked it up and yelled, “which one of you wonderful women laid my first egg?!” I have to say they all looked at me like I was nuts. I’m sure they were thinking, “I bet she wishes she could do that too.”

I ran out of the chicken house like I had just won the lottery. I was running around the yard, carrying my egg and screaming at the top of my lungs. I swear my neighbors who live a mile away probably thought my chickens had finally taken me captive.

I couldn’t hardly wait to get into the house to call my mother and tell her the good news. So, I grabbed Cordy and we quickly headed for the nearest phone. Let me tell you, I couldn’t punch those numbers in fast enough. A few seconds after my mother said “hello,” I started screaming into the phone, “I got my first egg! I got my first egg!” My mother’s response was, “Angie, slow down. I can’t understand you. Is this good or bad?” I did manage to compose myself to a degree so she was able to hear me more clearly. I think she was as stunned as I was. After I told my parents, I just had to spread the good news. So, I called my chicken partner in crime, uncle Lyle, who recently came out to visit my chickens on Sunday. Again, I think he was as stunned as my mother and I both were. If that wasn’t enough, I also had to call my aunt Marilyn and uncle Donnie to let them in on the joyous news. Christmas definitely came early out here on the farm.

Like any monumental occasion, I took a picture of my first egg. Then, I decided to try a little scrambled egg. I cracked the small egg into a mixing bowl and of course I had to take a picture of that too. Heh, it’s not every day you can celebrate your first hen-laid egg. Let me tell you that was the best scrambled egg I have ever eaten. I may be a little biased but who cares.

Yesterday was special for many reasons, but for one in particular. My grandmother, Ruth, who raised chickens and inspired me to do so, would have celebrated her 88th birthday yesterday, Oct. 6. I don’t think that was a coincidence. I believe God brought me a miracle on Oct. 6 and it had grandma’s fingerprints all over it.



Angie Bicker is the Lifestyles Editor for the Clinton Herald. She has been at the Herald since 2001.