Okay, I was given 5 baby, tiny, guineas today. They came in a nice little crate and were chirping happiness when I looked inside the cage. Their little teensy bodies were all huddled together but their bright eyes were looking at me like we were already friends. I was so excited.
Immediately, I took the handle of the case and walked towards the “mansion”. We call the “mansion”, the newest chicken coop which is our largest and was built professionally by my son-in-law, Daniel. When looking at all of the coops, it stands out clearly as a “mansion”.
Outside of this hen house, small chicken wire spans the entire bottom 3 feet of the run therefore I was not worried about letting the babies into the run. I was only worried about how my fist-sized chicks might respond to something smaller than themselves but I was there and confident that i could grab them up should someone get roudy. Everything went well until two of the guineas poked heads through the smallest of chicken wire and made it through to the outside of the run! I about had a heart attack!
Quickly, I grabbed the other two and put them back into the crate, all the while trying to keep an eye on the two rogues loose in the yard. And then it happened. One of them walked right through the chain link fence and toward the neighboring15 foot pond. I was able to secure the one guinea and toss it into the crate and then I was off to listen for a chirping sound because I had lost sight of the little scamperer.
Since the neighboring pond has been there, I have never been on that side of the fence to look directly into that water. It’s too woody, full of poison ivy and oak and there are vines hanging and I’m certain moccasins at every turn.
Because we had been working on the chicken coops, there was a ladder nearby so I grabbed it and crawled over the 6 foot fence falling into a pile of limbs, vines and straw where we had just recently cleaned the yard and tossed it over the fence. “Ouch”, “Oh!”, “For goodness sake!” along with my shouts to the baby on the run could be heard. Most of all, I was worried about snakes but I was also worried about a tiny guinea on the loose! And while looking for it, I could hear water diving sounds where something was jumping into the water! Oh dear!
When finally my eyes spotted him, I saw him dart along the lip of the water bank. Watching for snakes but grabbing and pulling to get him, I missed him at every reach. He braved the water and for a good 2 hours, okay maybe 3 minutes, he began swimming away from the bank and towards the middle of a tree covered, vine twisted area. I knew that if he went that way, I would never catch him. He would be lost forever and eventually die.
Fortunately, he ran into a low limb and climbed on top facing me. I stayed completely still and watched him amble across the 2 inch tree branch until he jumped right in front my my shoe. Still, I did not move and then as quick as lightening, I reached down and scooped that wet fur ball into my hands and said, “Gotcha, you booger!”.
Traipsing back through the brush and thicket, I finally reached the cross over and landed near the coop where he was placed inside with the other four babies.
After getting them settled back in their crate with fresh straw, clean water and new food, I went inside and crashed on the couch. I began thinking about my experience and of the many times I’ve run from God who was simply trying to get me to safety.
Thank you God for your mercies are new every day!
Josie
