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| Saturday Visitor |
Saturday morning, I slept in, then, did my usual morning routines, feeding the cats, having a cup of tea, saying my morning devotions, etc. I had some dry cereal for breakfast as I was feeling hungry. I replied to blog comments and commented on a couple of other blogs.
Around 1:30 p.m., I happened to look outside and noticed I had a visitor:
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| Not Gustavo |
Every now and then, the neighbor's chickens fly over the wall into my garden. I didn't think too much about it, but, I didn't want it to eat my zucchini, so, I decided to go outside and check on the zucchini. I noticed the visitor had been on the porch steps, already, because he had left a couple of presents there!
The rooster appeared to be very tame and allowed me to get quite close to him. I thought he would fly back over the wall, but, no, he settled himself down on a pile of leaves under the feijoa tree. I left him there and went to check the zucchini - they are still very small, but, seem to have a tendency to turn yellow at the tips (they are not a yellow variety). I decided to pick three of them:
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| Saturday's Zucchini Harvest |
I spent the afternoon video chatting with my daughter (she had gone grocery shopping and to the Japanese store and wanted to show me her purchases) and finalizing the monthly photo challenge blog post. I also called friend A and left her a message, checking on her.
I looked outside a little later, around 3:45 p.m. and noticed that the rooster was still under the feijoa tree. I texted my daughter and said that he was taking a long nap! I went outside to add the kitchen compost to the garden compost pile and checked on the rooster again:
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| Rooster Under the Feijoa Tree |
That rooster was too still for my liking, but, I left it as it was. Every now and then, I'd go to the back door and check and it wouldn't have moved.
I had a very late lunch around 5:00 p.m. (leftovers), had a piece of mango, had a cup of tea, watched the news, and checked on the rooster. At 6:40 p.m., I texted my daughter that the rooster has not moved. Just before 8:00 p.m., I checked on it again and texted my daughter that I think it is dead!
So far, no one had come around looking for a missing rooster! Finally, at 8:00 p.m., I went next door, called out until someone came to see what I wanted, mentioned the rooster to him, and said that I think it is dead. He came over and agreed that it was dead, scooped it up, and took it away. He said maybe a cat attacked it - well, the garden cats weren't anywhere near the rooster as far as I could tell; they rarely even attack birds (quite the other way around, with the mockingbirds attacking the cats, especially Snowball):
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Snowball and Mockingbird
(taken through the glass door)
(Yes, that's the watermelon, next to the bird) |
It's more likely that a dog attacked the rooster. Maybe even one of their own dogs.
I had not noticed any obvious injury, otherwise, I would have gone next door earlier and notified them about the rooster. I was touched that the rooster sought a resting place in my garden and, yet, sad that he had died. Poor rooster. I hope you found my garden a peaceful place in which to spend your last few minutes on earth and that the shade of the tree and the pile of leaves provided a comfortable place in which to rest.
Later in the evening, I chatted with friend R and told her about the rooster.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to provide the rooster with a quiet garden in which to rest
- The neighbor took it away and I didn't have to deal with its disposal
- Today's zucchini harvest
- Video chatting with my daughter
- R calling to check on me
Today's joyful activity was being in the garden with the rooster, taking photos, before I realized it had come to die!
Rooster wasn't the only garden visitor, today:
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| Mourning Dove |
There was a mourning dove, too, in a different part of the garden. They are frequent visitors in my garden.
What a very sad tale about the rooster. it seems it had a peaceful passing in the shade in your garden. Maybe it was just his time to die.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a sad tale, isn't it? I think if people keep chickens, etc., they should be provided with a safe area in which to be rather than allow them to come into contact with dogs and other predators. I guess it was its time and I hope my garden was a peaceful place in which to die. It didn't seem distressed in anyway and didn't make a sound (at least, nothing that I could hear); just sat down on the pile of leaves and died.
DeleteThat's a shame about the rooster. Hopefully it passed peacefully in the end. Xx
ReplyDeleteYes, I think he died peacefully. He just settled himself on the pile of leaves and didn't move. It was the fact that he didn't move from that spot that alerted me that something was not quite right.
DeletePoor rooster. Hopefully he found a nice peaceful place in your garden to rest and spend his last moments.
ReplyDeleteI felt very sad for him, Sharon, but, yes, he found a peaceful place in my garden.
DeleteThat rooster was a beautiful bird. The neighbors behind me got chickens recently and they are very responsible with them. The chickens have a house and small yard with food and water, and they let them out daily supervised into the bigger yard. The young children of the family are taking care of the of the chickens, and I enjoy talking to the kids about them.
ReplyDeleteIt was a beautiful bird, wasn't it? I like the idea of having chickens, but, they have to be taken care of properly, like your neighbors are doing. When my daughter was in preschool, the teacher in charge of her class brought a couple of fertilized chicken eggs to school and they watched them as they hatched. Two hens, which the children named Charlie and Dino, and the kids took it in turn to bring the chickens home for the weekend. When it was my daughter's turn, we let them out in the garden, but, all three of us - my daughter, my mother, and I were with them at all times, watching over them!
DeleteThe rooster was a gorgeous colour. Some animals and birds do seek solitude when it is near the end and this rooster obviously sought the sanctuary of your garden for its final moments. I'm glad the owner took the body away so that you didn't have to deal with it though.
ReplyDeleteWasn't he a gorgeous bird? When I first took the pictures of him, I did so with the intention of including them as "Jewel-toned" in the J monthly photo challenge, but, when he died, I didn't think it was appropriate to use the photos for that purpose. Poor bird. Yes, I'm glad the neighbor took the body away. I would have buried it, right where it was, if he hadn't taken it, but, I'm glad I didn't have to.
DeleteWhat a pretty coloured cockerel. I suppose he had to die some time, somewhere and as you say, that little spot in your garden was comfortable and peaceful for him. Glad you located the owner too. It seems your courgette plants have taken offence at your despair of last year's abundance. Careful what you wish for! ;o)
ReplyDeleteYes, he was a very colorful bird and I'm glad my garden provided him with a quiet space in which to live out his last minutes on earth. I'm also very glad the neighbor took away the dead bird!
DeleteNot only the zucchini, but, the rest of the vegetable garden is not doing too well, this year. The cucumber vine just dried up, the bitter gourd vine dried up, too, and the tomato plants are sulking. But, the broccoli plants are still producing miniature broccoli side shoots! :D
Poor rooster, but at least it died undisturbed in a peaceful place. How appropriate to have a mourning dove in the garden, too!
ReplyDeleteYes, it had a peaceful passing. I, too, thought that the mourning dove being there was rather appropriate. I was reminded of the poem, "Who Killed Cock Robin" - one of the verses is,
Delete"Who'll be the chief mourner?
I said the Dove,
I mourn for my love,
I'll be the chief mourner"
That is an English nursery rhyme and the "Collared Doves" in England sound just as mournful as the "Mourning Dove" that we have over here. In fact ours always remind me of England!
DeleteI learned it as a child, but, had to look up the whole poem as I'd forgotten parts of it.
DeleteMaybe the rooster was very old, and having lived its full life it found your garden a peaceful place to die. I'm sure of that last bit regardless of why.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie. Yes, whatever caused its death, it did find a peaceful spot in my garden to live out the last few minutes. :)
DeleteHow sad. He may have died of the heat. It's very hard on them. I have lost a few chickens due to the hot weather, even though they had a safe coop, shade, and water. He found a safe place with you.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is sad, isn't it? I don't know much about chickens, but, I was usually happy to see them in my yard on the occasions when they flew over the wall. although I'd chase them away from the vegetables and fruits! They found much to scratch at and peck in my garden! I didn't realize that the heat could bother them! Good to know!
DeleteI know nothing about maintaining chickens, but how sad the rooster flew into your yard to die.
ReplyDeleteMaybe my garden held some good memories for him about earlier days when he would come over and scratch around!
DeleteWhat a shame about the rooster, he had such vibrant color. My son and DIL raise chickens and they had one attacked by a dog they were fostering. It too found a place off by itself. Apparently that is instinct to separate itself and then remain very very still to avoid additional attacks knowing it is vunerable. They took their chicken to the vet, but she was beyond saving.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a shame that it had to die, but, I know that we all have to go, one day. Thank you for letting me know that chickens go off on their own when they are injured. I'm glad it found sanctuary in my yard.
DeleteWell, I certainly didn't expect this rooster story, It started out with a chuckle and then things turned serious.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty obvious the rooster was harmed elsewhere and his instinct brought him to your garden full of wonderful plant life and peace.
What a compliment.
I was very sad when I realized that the poor rooster had died, Debra. :( But, I'm glad it found a peaceful spot in my garden to live out its last minutes.
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