Rose

Our oldest Granddaughter has been faithfully and enthusiastically checking under our broody bantam hens to see if the many eggs they are sitting on have hatched. We already had 3 new chicks and sadly found 2 little ones that did not even make it out of the egg before they died, so our granddaughter was even more diligent about checking the eggs. One morning last week I was up early, very early. Completely surprised my granddaughters to see me watching them wake up. Night-owl that I am, it surprises many people if I am up early, but I do arise before nine a.m. on occasion. Anyway, I was struck with the sheer joy of having the little girls sleeping soundly here in our spare bedroom which has become their bedroom these past few weeks.They awoke and as they sleepily sat up in bed the sun streaming through the window shone upon their very blond and sleepy heads and it looked for a few moments as if they were encircled by golden clouds. Our oldest granddaughter smiled and said " I dreamed I found 5 new little chicks under the hen today, was that real?" The youngest granddaughter beamed at her oldest sister and said " I dreamed my sister loved me.." The youngest sister's dream is true but there were no new chicks hatched out on that glorious morning. Sunday however, from the other side of the property I heard our oldest granddaughter yelling, " Grandma, come here!" So I quickly ran to her thinking she was in need of help from some calamity or another and there she was, tenderly holding a wet, newly hatched chick and most wonderful of all, Granddaughter told me it had hatched in her hand.And it had! This little chick has been named Rose. Granddaughter just knows Rose thinks she is her mother because Granddaughter was the first thing she saw and she hatched in Granddaughter's hand. Granddaughter tended Rose the rest of the day and I am happy to report Rose is fine and dandy even now. Granddaughter told her Daddy about this and he said when they get their own place he will build them a chicken pen just for their pet chickens. I know he will, as Granddaughter says, " Our Daddy loves us very much!" And today Granddaughter cried because even though she is having a wonderful time here and loves us very much, she misses her Daddy. I told her I miss him too, but we'll see him in a few days and the little girls will go home with their Daddy and other sisters. I hope Rose likes being around little girls!