Saturday 24 November 2007

And Then Along Came Mabel.............

Ok.......... I never seem to have time to blob much of late, life aye........

On Saturdays, I like to try and get a bit of a lie-in in the mornings, cos I get up at 6.30 all week..... but Im a light sleeper so Im always awake when the Milkman's float rattles down our lane at just gone 5, and I usually toss and turn and just lay there snuggled under me duvet waiting for me 6.30 alarm to go off.....

But last Saturday, now that my Sam has this job, I decided to be a lovely mum and make him a lovely packed lunchbox to take with him so that he wouldnt be hungry in the day......... so I was up at 7am making sundried tomatoe and feta pitas and slicing homemade cake to put in his box...... whilst gulpping down me cuppa tea......

So, I sees him off, and decide to snuggle back into bed for a couple of hours.... I awake about 9.30ish (what a lazy cow right? lol) with the creaking of the attic stairs, it was Jacob jumping down the stairs hungry for breakfast........so I mumble....... Hey Jacob, will you let Janet out for me and then bung the kettle on for a cuppa tea....... all this whilst still snuggled under me duvet.....

Those of you that know me or have read me blob will know that Janet is me beloved chicken that I found back in march....... I loves this chicken like I aint never loved another animal before LOL....... we are a great team, me and Janet lol

You can read about finding Janet HERE

Ya see, of late, Ive been thinking that it would be nice now that winter is upon us for Janet to have a couple of friends....... she goes into her coop (she has the run of the garden during the day) early for bed, I always think she must be well bored on her own, with no telly or radio and no friend to chat to late into the night, so I was thinking of maybe getting a couple of them caged rescue birds...... or a couple of little bantums for her so she had someone to hang around with....ya know, maties of her own....

I bought me matie Wendy a couple of pretty little chickens for her birthday and she was mega chufted with them........ so Ive been toying with the idea of getting a couple for Janet...

Anyways, back to last Saturday........ so Jacob let Janet out into the frosty garden and she headed straight for the house and climbed in the cat flap and snuggled in the wicker basket in the kitchen :) - Jacob made me a mug of hot tea and bought it up for me in bed....... and then he disappeared upstairs to his attic bedroom to sort out whatever teenagers do LOL.....

I then got dressed and hobbled into the bathroom..... where I was sitting reading me Dingleberrys Book of the Month LOL - ok ok but its the only place I get a chance to read it, in peace and quiet.... I hear me lad go back downstairs and then a few minutes later he comes shooting up the stairs shouting......... mum, mum, I think you better get downstairs and see something strange.......'IM READING ME BOOK JACOB' I says......but mum, you will NOT believe this...........Gawds sake........ I hobble down stairs to find Jacob in the kitchen with the back door open letting the freezeing cold air in......... shut the bloody door will ya...... nope mum, come look whats in the garden......... so I hobble over to the backdoor to have a butchers at what he is fussing about and what took me away from me book.......

Oh My Giddy Aunt...... it was only a bloody chicken....... I mean, another chicken that was NOT Janet........ it was noisy and flapping around and strutting its stuff..... Janet was well showing off to this new bird.......... a bloody chicken in me garden.... where had it come from? had it just fallen from the sky? (that is what I have told me minded nippers this week and they so laff) - someone must of put this chicken in me garden.... no one gets up Saturday morning to find a strange chicken in their garden right?

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This is what I saw in me garden...... not one chicken but 2 :)

One of me cats walked past the little chicken, well, Janet didnt take a blind bit of notice lol but the little chicken flapped and flapped right up onto the 6 foot fence....... cripes........ after a little gentle help from the mop and me, she fluttered back onto the grass.....

I decided not to clip her wings cos she had come to us at her free will, so if she was gonna stay then it was gonna be cos she wanted to and not cos she had been made to........ ya see, Janet aint never flapped up onto the 6 foot fence nor the 4 foot fence, be it the fact that she is to dam fat to lift off the ground is besides the point LOL

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This is Mabel..... how strange it dont have them wobbly red combs.... but instead it has a backcombed mop lol

So a week on and yesterday I sat in the garden for a little while in the freezing cold, just watching both chickens scratch around.... I had not named this little bird as yet..... and then it came to me........ 'Mabel'....... I would call her Mabel..... ya see, she is a tiny little thing with gingery soft feathers that feel like soft downy fur...... she doesnt have a red wobbly comb on the top of her head, but a mop of feathery hair (she looks like she has that backcombed hair from the 60s lol) - but as I stood in the garden she just looked like she would like the name 'Mabel' its a gentle old fashioned name and it suited her.......

Do you know that looking the name Mabel up on google this morning that in 1880 for every million american girls born, 9,357 were called Mabel :) see, what a mine of information I am LOL

For a couple of days I kept both Mabel and Janet in the run to Janet's coop, so that they could bond proper and argue out the pecking order...... Janet is so use to the run of the whole garden that I think she was a little miffed with me...... so Thursday I took that risk and hoped that the new chicken would not decide to flap to pastures new, and I let them out into the garden......... Janet followed me up the garden path and straight into the kitchen for her breakfast..... she then decided she had forgotten someone and ran back out the catflap and ran down the garden..... I watched puzzled looking through the back window, Janet dont leave her breakfast for no one......... and as I watched she came waddling back into view with Mabel closing following at her heels........... Oh My Goodness.....it was a sight to behold..... straight up the garden and straight through the catflap the pair of them LMFAO........

So now, I dont have one chicken that comes in the catflap, I have a pair of daft bloody chickens that think they must live in a house and not a coop........

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This is Janet showing Mabel how to sneak into the middle room when no one is looking....

Janet, has a new friend, a dear sweet little chicken friend called Mabel..... they snuggle together in the box in their coop at night, and keep each other warm........ aint they the lucky ones LOL....... theres me freezing me bum off on me own under me duvet, and bloody Janet has a snuggle partner lol

I hope Mabel will stick around, I hope she decides that now I have named her that she likes it here and wants to be part of me mad family........ cos she is well cute...... and Janet loves her so very much......

Oh, and another thing thats strange....Mabel is almost the exact same colour as our fat cat...... see, now I have colour co-ordinating pets LMFAO...... to funny..... to bloody funny......

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See FatCat is the same colour at Mabel LMFAO

Whats with this bloody house........ why is it that crazy things always happen here LOL

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Janet and Mabel enjoying a piece of sundried tomatoe and feta cheese pita bread :)

Janet LOVES special fried rice, but this week I found out that Mabel adores Spice Moroccan Sensation CousCous :) - I so spoil my girls LOL

My maties this week have so taken the piss out of me when I tell them about Janet and Mabel the colour co-ordinating stray chicken........ Where the hell did it come from...... I suppose that will always be a mystery......Im just glad she choose me and my family :)

And cos Brian me postman comes around the back when he gets no answer from him knocking me front door, Im gonna get a sign on me back gate that reads 'BeWare Of Janet And Mabel' lol.......

Ok..... enuff Twaddle on this freezing cold Saturday afternoon.......

x

29 comments:

Jen said...

Everyone needs a friend. I'm glad Janet has Mabel and that Mabel found your garden. Where else would a chicken get to live in the house?! She knows a good thing when she sees it. I love the name, by the way.

Anonymous said...

Lucky Janet.

Scots said...

awww .. they look such a lovely couple of old chooks wandering about the garden and house lmao

Pam said...

(((mel-anyone's for a chicken coop and a chicken snuggle partner)))
that is TOO cute....and janet showing her how to get into the house? that's adorable. i think mabel's gonna stick around a long while. why wouldn't she? there's lots of love in that house :)

Mom not Mum (Sandy) said...

LMAO That is great! Mabel is beautiful. I keep remembering the show Mad About You - they had a baby and named her Mabel for "mothers always bring extra love" Sounds like a perfect name for a chicken in your house.

Go Figure said...

Mabel has a look in er eye, best watch she doesn't carrupt Janet. Lost, grand? Nope how ya like me Brit? I have been working for the Ministry, hush hush and whatnot, you know u being an old MI-3 usef.

katy said...

LOL Going to build me a kennel and see if i get any new puppies then! how the hell did you teach Janet to use a cat flap?

Kati said...

Awwww!!! How incredible that Mabel found her way to your home & now Janet has a friend!!!! Glad to hear that Janet now has a friend without you having to do anything about it. *wink*

Unknown said...

Toasty, your animal stories are wonderful. I think the smile you have given me will last all night.

His Girl Friday said...

love the photos! makes me miss my 'mother goose' a sweet white chinese goose we imprinted, and followed us everywhere in the back yard/garden!!! Best 'watch-dog' I ever had!! :)))

buffalodick said...

So is your truly cool "dancing chicken" icon going to change into a couple dancing? I'd be a neat trick!

Casdok said...

Just came over to see if you were still on the floor!!!

Love the photos by the way!!

Akelamalu said...

Mabel obviously heard Marmie's is a great place to live!

It's great that Janet has a friend to share her coop. x

Queenie said...

It could only happen to you!!!!
Let see what we can get to drop out of the sky for you to snuggle up to next (any ideas, electric blanket do'nt count).
Its old news around chickenland, that marmie is a sucker for a redhead!!!

Helena said...

I never thought I'd ever feel giddy over chickens. What a fab story and pictures! Chickens sent from chicken heaven, are lucky to end up in your garden! You're delightfully mad, Toasty!!

Kahless said...

What a beautiful thing. WOW!
It is a great tale, fantastic!
I think Mabel will stick around... why wouldn't she when she has found such a good thing.

Carol Woolum Roberts said...

There must be a certain aura around your home that draws the craziness...and it sounds so wonderful!! Congrats on your new addition. I have never had a chicken show up in that manner, but have had cats just show up in the yard and become part of the family. And they were always a perfect fit!!

Christy Woolum said...

Mabel is a perfect name and I love it that the cat and chicken are color coordinated. We call Silver Valley Girl a dog magnet because me dogs adore her... I do think you are a chicken magnet... and I mean that in the most flattering way!

Spilling Ink said...

Two chickens? Just like that? I just can't ever picture a chicken just deciding to come live in my yard! You're lucky, Mel! I can't wait to read the Janet and Mabel stories, now.

MarmiteToasty said...

~((((jen))))~ yeah, maybe it was meant to be, maybe they needed each other.....xxx

~(((side note))))~ yep, aint she lucky to have someone to snuggle up with in bed lol.......xxx

~((((Scottie)))~ shut up you lol... they aint old, they just have had a hard life....xxxx

~(((ciara anyones for a peek at a pecker))))~ well I hope she sticks around... not an aweful lot of love in the house at the moment LOL...xxxx

~(((MnM)))~ I looked up Mabels breed last night, she is a 'Silkie' apparently they dont lay eggs during the summer but start around crimbo time... WTF....xxx

~(((Starr)))~ ya Brit is just fine and dandy LOL.... oh ya mean ya been drug smuggling lmfao.....xxxxx

~((((her indoors)))~ I thought I would leave a safe in the garden and see if any money appeared lol....... it must just be a crazy house cos I use to have a cockeral called Colin that would use the catflap to :)......xxxxx

~(((kati))))~ if I had a big garden like Sharkie does, I would keep so many chickens of all different breeds, and many rescue birds........sigh...... but alas, I have only a little house and a little gargen.....xxxxx

~((((Saintly))))~ visions of you falling asleep with a smile on ya face lol.... if you scroll back there are many crazy animal stories AND ALL TRUE lol......xxxxx

~(((his girl friday)))~ when I was married and we owned land and a plant nursery out at WorldsEnd, I use to have a couple of gooses :).... I miss me little bit of land and me goose and the plants NOTICE I didnt say me X LMFAO........xxxxx

~(((buffalodickdy)))~ welcome back you :)..... aint ya just love me dancing chicken lol..... now I need to hunt for a duo :)......xxx

~(((Casdok)))~ :) your blob gave me a headache lol...... the photos are just by using me crap little camera :).....xxx

~(((ake))))~ yeah, Janet has been a changed bird this week, ya know, showing the new girl the ropes lmfao......its nice she has company in the long evenings.... I was thinking, before Mabel arrived, that I would have to let her in the lounge some evenings lol....xxxxx

~(((Queenie))))~ yep its always bloody me lol.... can ya find me someone special to fall from the sky so I can snuggle up with lol..... just dont let him fall from to high cos I dont do no more broken legs LMFAO.......xxxxx

~(((lena))))~ delightfully mad aye lmfao....... mad me maties here have been calling me bonkers for years, maybe there is some truth in it afterall lol....... yeah chickens are just the bestest :) - Ive always LOVED chickens........ I have no idea why......xxx

~(((kahless)))~ yeah I think the couscous will keep her around for the winter lol....... we have a large cat that moves in with us for the winter.. and then disappears in the spring and summer..... wtf.......a bloody home for stray animals and kids.......xxxxx

~(((Silver Valley Girl)))~ maybe its the fact that I live in a mental institute and its not an aura but the sign over the door :) - I do have a cat that arrives every Autumn that moves in with us and then leaves in the spring LOL..... all waifs and strays welcome.... now if only I could find someone to take me in :).....xxxxx

~(((InlandEmpireGirl)))~ now if I was a bloke, to be called a chick magnet would be good lol....I did buy a chicken years and years ago cos it was the same colour as me rabbit lol.... I think this is how Im destined to live out me life, taking in strays and the unwanted..... I will be called the lonely old chicken woman that lives down the lane LMFAO......xxxxx

~((((lynn)))~ welcome back you :) - so lovely to see you..... well Janet I found outside our school back in March.... and now Mabel just sort of landed LOL..... it probably knows I will love it and protect it :)...... thats me, a bleedin protector lol......xxxxx

Anonymous said...

I'd say so.

Creative-Type Dad said...

Wow!

If I wake up tomorrow morning and find chickens running in my yard...I'm blaming you!

katy said...

a cockeral called collin! hey if the safe thing works out let me know an i will try it here too, now wouldn't that be wonderful!

melodyann said...

TWO chickens? How cool! Thanks for coming to my blog, hope you'll be back. I'm going to link to you, k?

Cindy said...

I got the biggest kick out of this story! That's just too cute! I sure hope Mabel decided to stay.

Chris Beason said...

Cindy sent me to come and read about how you found the chicken and now you have two! Congrats! Love your blog...I'll be back to read more later!

none said...

Nice looking birds. Looks like they already know their place in the world :)

MarmiteToasty said...

SORRY I HAVE NOT BEEN AROUND HERE OR THE BLOBWORLD..... YOU DONT WANNA KNOW WHY lol.....

~((((SideNote))))~ yeah, oneday aye, we can only dream LOL... xxxx

~(((creative-type dad))))~ welcome to you :) - you must think me awfully rude not to have replied earlier, but I just aint been around, sorry....... I would have 50 chickens if I could, all named and all tame :) - I am a sucker for chickens lol.....xxx

~(((her indoors))))~ yep I LOVED Colin LOL but alas he is now in chicken heaven, well actually about 2 foot under me mallow shrub ;).....xxxxxx

~((((melodyann))))~ welcome to me blob, Ive been a regular reader to your blob for months now.... aint it funny we have the same real name LOL..... hope you get the chance to scroll back and read some of me better posts :)....xxx

~((((((cindy)))))))~ OH MY, FANKS for the write up on your blob.... Im so not worthy :).....week 2 and mabel is still here..... she spent the best part of the afternoon sat in me kitchen out of the rain LOL.....xxxx

~(((((Annette Beason))))))~ welcome also to you :) - now I owe cindy a fiver lol.... scroll back some of me posts are funny :) but ALL true.......xxxx

~(((((Hammer)))))~ welcome back you :)...... yeah they know they are dam spoilt LOL....xxxx

Ol' Lady said...

I'm gonna try the safe in the yard and see what happens on this side of the world...I'd try for a chicken but it would be a chickensicle as it is a bit chilly here now (-15C) and gettin colder.
Happy for Janet :)