Hard to believe! Clara’s back!

Movin’ Slow

She’s not talking.  Not so much as a cluck or a chirp.  And she’s walking ever-so-slowly.  Like it hurts to put one foot in front of the other.  When I offered her some scratch, she pecked at it disinterestedly.  Farmer Nyel and I were concerned.

Yesterday was Day Four of Clara Missing.  We were pretty sure she had joined Snow White and Ida Mae in the Great Chicken Beyond.  But… yesterday afternoon as I was working at my desk, my phone rang (no… it wasn’t Clara) and Nyel said that he was just going into the yard at the “Cannon Gate” and Clara was coming toward the gate to meet him!  Slowly.  Oh so slowly.  I went to the window to watch her progress and it was painful.

The conclusion of Farmer Nyel: she had no visible signs of injury.  Maybe she was sick.  And where had she been?  She wasn’t saying, but it didn’t appear that she had left the premises.  Nyel went down to the coop to let the others out and, though it took some coaxing, they eventually came up and joined her.  I gave them all a bit more scratch but only Slutvana seemed “normal.”  Both Clara and Little Red were less than interested and were moving slowly — like their hips were giving out.

All Three Together Again!

But… an hour or so later, there were all three on the east porch begging for treats.  The two sickly ones a bit more subdued than usual but… even so.  They were all there!  And, even later, when I went to say, “good night,” all three were huddled together on the roost — LRH on one side and Slutvana on the other side of Clara.  Like bookends, securing her between them.  Like good friends always do.

We are cautiously optimistic.

 

 

 

One Response to “Hard to believe! Clara’s back!”

  1. Linda Johnson says:

    What!!?? A lovely surprise!

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