The Flappers

Hello All!

Diddy, here.

Before I begin... the KAHN CORNY JOKE of the day: What is it when you are on the mend?

KAHN-VALESCING!


Oh, and Kahn wanted me to post another selfie for him;

Today I'd like to introduce you to some of my extended family... the Flappers!


...and by that, I mean the chickens.


Now there are 7 of these gorgeous ladies.  Mum and Pops refer to them as "the girls", or sometimes as "the ladies."  They are all Easter-eggers.  They all know their names and answer to them when called by Mum or Pops.  Interesting.

I sometimes call them "the Magnificent 7."

Pops and Mum barter with them, trading food and water for their eggs.

There names are Gertrude, Rose, Beulah, Scarlett, Penelope, Imogene, and Beatrice.  Each one's personality is as different as the next.  Believe you me, there is such a thing as a pecking order.  I never take a walk into the chicken yard out on the mini-farm when Pops takes me there with him, unless Pops is with me whilst I'm in said chicken yard.  It is my humble opinion that I would be rather hen-pecked before they were through with me.  Pops just grabs them and pets them as if they were young pups or something.   To me, those beaks are the scariest part of them.  Enough... I introduce to you, the girls!

Gertrude is a beautiful amber colored lady who was the first one up to produce eggs for Mum and Pops.  In fact, she started weeks ahead of the others earning her the nickname: "the factory" as the girls likes to call her.  Gertrude was, at first, nicknamed "tude" by Pops and Mum because she seemed to have a real attitude.  However, as time has gone on, Gertie has become one of the sweetest of the Magnificent 7.  She is a regular producer for the eggs Mum and Pops take for cooking and such.

Scarlett is a Reddish multicolored hen who has somehow ordered herself to the top of the pecking order.  She is the watchdog of the group.  Mum tells how she has actually seen Scarlett lay an egg from her roosting place, only for Mum to catch it in mid-air, just in time.  Pops says that she is just plain nutty. You can hear her squawk from a long ways off.  She is really loud.  Her personal favorites are Imogene, Gertrude, and Penelope.

Beulah is a mostly black crested chicken with some colorful hints of beige and brown.  She is the benevolent protector of Rose and Beatrice.  Beulah is a feisty one, that loves to get under Pop's feet whilst he is in the yard with them.  A tough gal, Beulah takes no guff from Scarlett, or Gertrude.  Imogene, generally steers clear of Beulah.  She lets Pops pet her when he takes them food.

Imogene is thought by Mum to be the 2nd in command.  Imogene is stark white and large.  She has bossy qualities that keep Scarlett in order, but she has a softer side than most would not detect on just a momentary gaze.  Imogene had a boyfriend, or so she said, who was a mocking bird.  He would sit upon the fence just above her and sing his whole repertoire.  She would just stand there and stare and listen to him in utter fascination.  She truly enjoyed his company.   Unfortunately, autumn came on and he had to go his way.  Perhaps she will see him again in the spring.  Sometimes, she lays eggs that are shaped just like a football, earning herself, among the girls, the nickname of "the quarterback."  Her greatest attribute is the ability to leap about a foot and a half flat-footed.

Beatrice  is colored very much like Scarlett.  In fact, she could pass for a twin sister.  However, Pops can tell them apart.  Mum says that she will always be able to tell who Bea is, because she has so very few tail feathers.  She is next to last in the pecking order and catches a lot of guff because she often steps in front of Rose to protect her from the others.  Bea was very curious and quite brave early on.   Pops actually thought she would be the highest in the order, but somehow that changed.  Bea spends her days foraging through grass and clover.  Her closest siblings are Rose and Beulah.

Penelope  is best known by her sisters as the "water chick."  She is endlessly fascinated with water.  Dripping water, falling water, puddled water, you name it.  Even dew on a leaf catches Penelope's eye.  She would rather drink the drippings from an overflowing vat of water than drink from the vat itself!  She has interesting sideburns... not sure if those are called that... and I wouldn't dare ask.  She has always been the smallest of the 7, but because of favoritism shown her by Scarlett, she is anything but last in the pecking order.  Rose has that distinction.  Penelope likes to pick at the buttons on Pop's coat.  She thinks they look like big sunflower seeds.  She is petite, but Mum and Pops have to clip her wings more often than the others.  On occasion, when Pops would go out to the mini-farm, he would find her (daily) outside the protective fence around their yard.  While she was always ready to go inside, Pops was still worried that something bad could happen to her.  Thus the clipping of  the wings!

Rose  is a sort of grey and rust colored chicken.  She too has sideburns.  The girls call her "Martin Van Buren," because of those glorious appendages.  Rose may be on the bottom of the order, but she is quite clever and has learned how to stay out of the way of the others.  She uses thorny rose bushes to hide behind to discourage many a wandering unfriendly peck from a beak.  She quite likely is the strangest one of the girls as well.  She walks around all day with her mouth wide open!  Imogene has been overheard telling her to shut her flycatcher!  Yes, old "Flycatcher" has been known to lay an egg while running around the yard grabbing meal worms that Mum or Pops has tossed down to the girls.  Rose also has this very annoying way of saying Thank You twice, regardless of what has happened.  I'll give you an example:   "Hey Rose, run through those briars to get a great massage!"  To which Rose replies: "Thank you, Thank you!"  ...or... "Hey Rose, you're pretty stupid, aren't you?"   Again, Rose's reply would be: " Thank You, Thank You!" , and she'd smile.  Strange bird.  Oh, I almost forgot,  every time... and I mean every time, Pops or Mum go out to the farm and let the girls out of their yard for a stroll through their lot, Rose is always perched somewhere and comes flying down... and always whacks Pops or Mum on her way down... Again I say, Strange Bird.

All in all, a great group of gals.   I would recommend that you give them notice before visiting, though.  They are not fond of unplanned stop-overs, unless you happen to be Imogene's mocking bird!  But, if you do, bring plenty of meal worms.  Those are the girl's favorite treat.  Ewwww.  That's disgusting!  I'd rather have ice cream, or hotdogs, or maybe pizza!

You know, come to think of it, I ought to take Raybo out there and turn the girls loose on him!  I'd bet that be one worth watching.

Well, that's a rundown on the fabulous ladies of the mini-farm. 

See you on the other side of tonight!

Diddy Out!


CORGI!