Little Orphan Earlie

Earl stands at the edge of the universe.
Watch out, that next step is a doosey.

Been an "E Ticket" ride around these parts lately.  Don't even know where to begin.

No, REALLY, i don't know where to begin.

Here are the pertinent facts so that you will understand the song we are about to sing.

First of all, Earl had a really bad day last Sunday.
Apparently, my nerves weren't the only ones she was standing on, and the pack of rowdy roosters sought to set matters straight. 
Ellie May is way more into the psychology of chickens than i am, so she can explain the why's of the behavior, but the net/net is that they tend to police themselves with a leather gloved iron fist, eliminating the weak and the threatening.

And, apparently, the annoying.  

The roosters were trying to eliminate Earl, and were basically trying to peck her eyes out.  Sorry, squeamish, but that is what was going on.

Jethro snatched her from the jaws of death, and we moved the PaddyMolly chicks on out into the hen house so Earl could take up residence in the laundry room/pantry, which is now doubling as the infirmary.

The wounds have healed, but Earl is pretty much blind.  We think she has some periphery vision, but are still trying to figure out where we are with this thing. 

What do you do with a BLIND CHICKEN, for crying out loud???!!!

It would be easy to figure out, if it weren't for the fact that everyone loves her (except the roos.)  (Just because she was annoying me doesn't mean i didn't think she was cool...)  We are all taking turns sticking her head in the food and water bowls, and she is getting carried around on a pillow, so is not lacking for attention.

But WHAT do you do with a blind chicken??!!!

SHEESH!!!!!!

So there is that.

Let's see...Ralph was down for a good week, really starting to worry me, so gave him a little shot 'o somfin, and he seems to be recovering.   Went on rounds with me this morning, so that is a good sign.

Moon and Sparta have been acting like a couple of idiots, or as my Aunt Lu used to say, I-Dots.  They are head butting each other like they are trying to connect railroad cars, and Lance does the happy feet bounce all around them while they are going at it.  Think i am gonna have to start calling them The Three Stooges.

The washing machine curled up and died the same week we actually started getting rain, so everything has been getting muddy, and then staying that way until i can trek into town to the laundromat.

The two legged kids have had the grunge, and gave it to Jed.  So far i have avoided it. 

And, because three snotty noses in the house just isn't good enough for me, Becky, Splendora and Cherry decided to do the same for me outside the house.

Actually, Becky and Splendora have snotty noses.

Cherry, being who she is, has to one-up them, by having a snotty nose with hay.

So, i am trying to get in the Spirit of the Season, but am thinking about how things seem to be circling the drain right now, and the beginning of this song just POPS into my wee small brain.

And it made me giggle.

If i had thought of this a couple of days earlier, we could have started in time to follow the "12 Days of Christmas," but since we missed that we are just gonna jump in and get caught up, so at least, if all goes well, we should end up right.

My friends, i present to you.....

The 12 Days of Homesteading Christmas

...to be sung each day to give you a smile, and to make you thankful you are where you are.