Henrietta's Story

It all began about week ago.

I hadn't seen Henrietta for day or two. That night, I was sitting at my computer which is right by the den window and it was about ten o'clock at night. Suddenly Henrietta dropped down outside the window, (I couldn't see from where), with a great fluttering of feathers and, cackling and squawking. I thought maybe she had been up on the roof and a cat was after her, or worse yet, a possum or coyote had found her roost in the olive tree. So I grabbed a broom stick which we use to put in the groove of our sliding door and went out to do battle with whatever was attacking Henrietta. By now she had arrived on the kitchen patio and was making a terrible racket. I thought the neighbors would come out to see what had happened. So I went outside but I couldn't find anything that had been chasing her. I tried to calm and quieten her down by talking softly to her. (I know, I'm a little flaky, trying to calm down a hen at 10:00 at night, with a broom stick in my hand!) After about half an hour or more of me sitting out there and she with numerous renewed bouts of clucking and squawking, she began to calm down. It seemed as though she wanted to go off the patio and presumably back to the olive tree but every time she got to the edge, away from the light of kitchen, she wouldn't go any further but turned back towards me with renewed squawking. It was now about midnight. Suddenly she flew up onto one of the patio chairs and then up to a pot of Christmas cactus that was hanging from the eaves by the door. Finally she settled down and looking very uncomfortable she began to fall asleep. Poor thing, I think she was exhausted.



















I think she stayed there all night. But I didn't see her for a day or two after that. Then the same episode happened again a few days later and once again she settled in the Christmas cactus. The next night or two I peeked out and sure enough there she was, roosting in the Christmas Cactus.
I finally remembered to take a photo of her.





















It certainly doesn't look very comfortable as you can see from the above picture. I think she feels safe there because no owls or other birds of prey can swoop down from above -- nor cats or whatever are prowling the roof top! I wanted to get a perch or coop or something to hang there, but MOTH says NO! (He called from Guam.)




















Today she has been back around the yard again as usual, chasing the mourning doves and settling on the planter outside the den window, cozying up to Bailey.







Nap Time












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I thought this would be a good time to take a photo of my own jacaranda tree today, since I don't think it will get any fuller than this.