The Chickens May Have Done It

Our years here in Costa Rica have been full of ups and downs. The ups mostly with our solid little family unit, and the downs, unfortunately, with the life we encountered the moment we moved here. We have fought, and kept our heads up high, but there have been areas of our lives that we have never gotten around to here. One of those is our yard.

It is difficult to explain without telling all of the gory details, but for years our yard was simply a place we did not venture. It is a nice yard, there are lots of beautiful plants and fruit trees in it. Our daughters have a favorite climbing tree near the house that they love, but as for my husband and I, the sour from our experiences here has never left our palates, and the yard, tended by our gardener, has never beckoned our interest. However, we recently rid ourselves of a drainage issue left to us by our evil ex-neighbor (trust me that story goes far beyond a drainage issue) and the ability to step out and enjoy our outdoor space is present once again. 

 

I always had a vision of what our lives would be like when we moved here, and that vision always included keeping chickens. I have been offered a pair of jardineras (small garden chickens) many times before and never gone through with it. However, with the arrival of a new batch of chicks at our friends' house I decided to go for it. What if, suddenly, life took us back to the city and we never experienced the charm of chickens running around the yard? My husband built a sturdy coop with our girls and we were officially ready for our fowl. 

They did not arrive via Federal Express, but rather Pony Express. Yes, our new feathered friends were lovingly delivered by our friends on horseback. They seem to love their new home, and their presence has beckoned us into our yard. The rooster came with a fine name, Sputnik. The hen was given a new name by our youngest, Bird. Sputnik and Bird. I don't know if all of the pieces of my picture perfect tropical vision will ever come together, but it's nice to have that detail in place at least.