"Goodie. I have not forgotten the failure in our yard when you planted a garden last year. Not one vegetable came of it as I recall. But go ahead. Buy chickens. Just don't come running to me when the racoons get them." 

I ordered Raising Chickens for Dummies, and it came quickly before my enthusiasm had a chance to wane. Then I was chatting with a teenager who is homeschooling who mentioned she had just bought a coop online. I darted home to search. There were plenty of options, so I would not be forced to overcome my deficiency in construction skills. Click. It came in two days. Zack was feeling supportive and offered to assemble it for me. I was not sure if I would do the mail order plan for chicks, or drive to a local feed supply. But I did read the book. 

Then I went to my job, the one with four year olds, and a woman appeared with an arm full of eggs in an incubator. We all listened to her story about hatching and keeping them warm, and I raised my hand. 

 

"What will you do with them when you take them back?"

 

"Yes, I do!" Maybe the stars were aligning. How often does a perfect stranger offer you a flock? 

 

The next Saturday Zack went on a small job I had landed him, which involved digging. When he got home, dirty but fifty bucks richer, I asked how it went. 

 

"I built a chicken coop. It was pretty cool." Now I have a lot of children who have done an impressive list of penny ante projects, but this was the first time any of them had tackled apprentice coop construction. It was a sign.

 

The chicken lady told me where she lives and yesterday I got in the car, half eager and half petrified. I was about to embark on the care of helpless creatures. Fortunately neither she nor the birds asked for references in the field of animal care. I had none to offer. She even sent me home with feed, and various implements of dispensing it. Apparently she expected me to succeed.

 

It has been two days and the eleven fluffy balls are still chirping cheerily. The twins have named them all, some after characters in Anne of Green Gables and Redwall. Qualified or not, here we go.

 

Marriage is an adventure that many of us are less than prepared for. It never occurred to me to contemplate finances, or vacation preferences when John and I fell in love. We did have a book that helped even dummies like me. Along the way there have been people who surprise me by offering assistance, people who have nothing to gain by giving it. 

Some days I have an inkling that the stars may align after all. 

 

Photo by Joy Feerrar

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