i just finished burying my favorite chicken black beauty. my aracauna mistress with baby blue eggs. my favorite because she was the smartest. always finding her way out of the run while the other girls just pecked around. she was kind of an outsider too often doing her own thing away from the rest of the flock. she had this strong independent presence, plus she just looked tough! all black head with blue glimmering neck feathers and brown speckle ridged feathers like wood grain everywhere else.
the wild neighbor dogs came over right after we let them out of the run to roam. bella was taking a nap. i was inside. the neighbor came and broke the news. she was nervous. i told her it was okay and it was life and that dogs just do these kinds of things. she showed me black beauty and after she walked away i thought of life and death and all the things that just happen. i took her back over by the coop and covered her with dirt and lupine. my black beauty.