The sun popped out today so we went to Fay Bainbridge Park to build forts with driftwood. We were able to snag a friend along the way. The fort building went great - it is often less amazing than imagined because there is not enough wood, not near enough, not able to be carried, and then on top of that you nearly twist an ankle carrying it and placing it with all the other sticks at your feet. Today we managed to do it all and the fort was pretty sturdy! I'm always a bit worried when kids go in forts, but we did check multiple times to see if it was sturdy. Now we wonder if high tide wiped it out. Great time. (Click for larger picture.)

After a nice time building forts, we went to Poulsbo for Mexican food at a great taqueria – which also happens to have a full bar. Good to know! The food was awesome and the people were really nice. Then off to the land of malls and big stores – Silverdale – for redeeming Toys R Us gift cards! Yay! The boys had a great time looking over the offerings, and Ben was very sweet to say thank you when we finished checking out. He got a monster truck and a new electric guitar thanks to presents from Randy and Krissy, Dave’s parents and his great-grandmother. Sam got a Lego Technic set that he’d been eyeing, and model glue for the rocket his Uncle Steve got him. The jackhammer guy made me a bit overstimulated – just walking into Toys R Us is a bit of an event for me because I don’t tend to go into big stores much. We made our way home and I stayed outside to give the chickens recess. It was so nice to have it be clear, not raining, that I grabbed my camera and did some chicken family portraits. I did that last year over Thanksgiving, so we were overdue capturing who is part of the flock.It was such a nice, pleasant time in there with them, feeding corn, watching them scratch and take a dust bath. Toward the end (it was getting dark and they wanted to roost) they took an interest in my boot laces, which I thought was very sweet. Several came over to peck. I didn’t notice that Merlin had sauntered up because I was busy trying to squat down and take pictures at beak level. All of a sudden I saw him, and in a leap I tried to both get up and get back. I jolted out of my reverie so quickly that I fell backwards and tripped over the railroad ties around an old potato patch. I landed in the dirt and was just shocked at what was going on so I must have started screeching.

By then Merlin WAS interested in me, even if he wasn’t before. He started advancing with an intent look. So I leaped up and tried to get away but slipped on and fell on my backside on a tarp-covered compost heap. I kept flailing as I tried to get up, all the while protecting my camera and trying to keep one foot out in defense against Merlin. By this time I was really screaming H E L P! (You know how you don’t know whether or not you’d really scream in an emergency or if just blankness would come forth? I guess I know now.) Dave, Sam and Ben all came running – very sweet that they all love me enough to come and see if I am ok. Dave was NOT amused that it was just a rooster issue, and this fact was exacerbated by my emergence from desperation and fear into the land of humor. I was starting to giggle. Then I started laughing so hard I couldn’t even tell them all what had happened! I was just cracking up – my world had changed so quickly from chicken garden nirvana to flailing and tumult. I was so disoriented!

Can you see the progression from sweet time to "OMG he's after me and I don't have my hoe!" ? You can see Merlin's comb in the bottom right frames. (Click for larger picture.)

When I eventually got my act together, apologized to Merlin, and got them into the run, I went in and organized my life. I was slipping and tripping on dominoes (the 1000 arrived from The Netherlands) and spazzing out continued. Then I realized I’d lost my phone. I looked all over. Called it 22 times. No dice. In the truck, in the trash, on the driveway, in the garden. Back out to the garden I went with my headlamp, and finally I found it by the second compost heap where I’d flailed for my life. It hadn’t been answering because there was no signal strength out there in the Bermuda triangle of craziness! Whew! As I walked back in, laughing, I had to call someone who would understand. I left Tijen another really bizarre message (I left her one a few weeks ago about her roosters – which she had hoped were hens). I am thankful she still counts me as a friend. This after I showed up at her doorstep in my elf outfit…

Tamara – stop laughing, ok? It wasn’t funny at the time!!!! 🙂