First, I’ll let you know that our camping trip this past was awesome…after we arrived at our campsite. The road to the campground, in a national forest, was filled with holes and rocks. We were driving around three miles per hour for almost three hours. We took a different route on the way out and it was just as bad. However, on Wednesday, we got up, and ate breakfast by the campfire. We then went fishing. Didn’t get any bites but that was okay. It was very relaxing. There was no cell service and, of course, no wifi, so the stress levels were non-existent!

Before lunch, we found a group of beautiful butterflies and they started fluttering around us. That was magical! I managed to read an entire book while we were there. Birds of Georgia Field Guide by Stan Tekiela. He has interesting “trivia” type notes about each bird and it was a great read! He has written many other books as well.

When we arrived home on Thursday, one of our hens was limping. We suspected Bumblefoot. Brian drove into town to get some veterinary tape and antiseptic spray. When he got back, we managed to catch her, and set her up in Moon’s old dog create, which is the perfect size! We put the crate on the back porch. I wrapped her in a towel (their claws are lethal!), and turned her on her side so Brian could inspect her foot. We didn’t find any noticeable injury or cuts but he cleaned it just the same, and wrapped it. We then put her in the crate, and gave her food, water, and scratch. She seemed to be enjoying the attention!

Yesterday morning, she was still limping. We washed and dressed her foot again. We are starting to suspect she has a leg injury…I mean a drumstick injury. Yesterday afternoon, we started receiving weather alerts. The forecast was for 40 mph winds and 1/4″ hail. While she was safe on the porch, which has a huge overhang, we wanted her to be comfortable so we carried the crate into the living room. After the storm, we moved her back out on the porch.

If you’d told me three years ago that, today, we’d not only own chickens, but that one would be in my LIVING ROOM, I’d have called you nuts! This morning, the weather got bad again so we moved her inside again. The first thunder bumpers have passed but more are coming this afternoon so she’s staying in the living room for now.

We have to keep Rocky the cat in Mason’s room because Rocky is waaaaaaay too interested in Boo Boo Betty.

On Thursday, I told Brian he should put her down, and put her in the freezer. We can always get more chickens from our neighbor and I didn’t want her to suffer. Brian said he wanted to try to help her heal first. Last night, I was cuddling her, petting her, and talking to her. When she was in her crate, if I walked outside, she would start clucking at me, wanting me to come pet her. Brian was laughing, and said, “Twenty-four hours ago you wanted to eat her. Now she’s your pet!” 😉

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