A Dismal Sunday

Well, rainy, that is. 

Keith and I are feeling very badly this afternoon. 

This beautiful bird, that we put so many months into taking care of.... tried to get me again last night, he jumped off the roost, (you see his wattles are cherry red with anger) and almost got me as I grabbed the waterer from the coop side of the big henhouse. 

Fast forward to today: 

Here they are in the yard at Roxanne's.  We got them loaded without too much trouble, but as we pulled up to Roxanne's gate, she told me on the phone... "Maybe we had better wait until I get back from Tennessee at the end of the week"... and I told her "I have them loaded and we're at the gate".  She told me to bring them in.  Rosie was so frightened when Keith picked her up that she is missing feathers. You can tell from this picture that she is half bourbon red and half bronze.  

(She has someone who will be feeding for her) 

The welcoming committee came from far and near. 

The peacocks came flooding down the yard, but then saw Keith and me and turned around and flooded back. 

This guy heard Jackson and proceeded to come over, gobbling and displaying. 

Roxanne was inside, getting cleaned up and dressed, and told us to leave the birds in her kid pasture (she has a goat dairy) and she would take care of them.  We left them, and went home. 

I took Nathan home to Garnett.  

When I got back, it was raining, and 38 degrees.  Keith looked at me and said
"Do you think Jackson and Rosie have food and water?"....

I told him Roxanne had told me she would come out and see that they were fed and watered. 

They have a small metal shelter to get in, and it had a small amount of straw in it, the geese had spent the winter in that pen.  

Our hearts are hurting, but as a friend said to me by email this morning... she had a good friend whose husband was diabetic, who had been injured by an animal at their farm.  It took weeks for him to heal. 

I was in fear of being knocked over by Jackson, and possible spurred hard.  

I know it was the right thing to do, as Roxanne is skilled at caring for poultry... and the people who come for tours at her place will love to see Jackson and Rosie. 

But they are sleeping virtually outside tonight in the cold rain, on a bed of scanty straw (if they even will go in the shelter) and they had a nice, warm henhouse.  

Our hearts hurt.