While I was ill, the beasties and I lost two dear friends.
Pearl, aka PearlCat, got her wings on February 17 at 4:10 a.m. She was born in June of 2000. Her kidneys failed and she passed in my arms on the porch.
Pearl joins her best friend, Timmee at The Bridge. Her siblings, WillHe and Clara White, died while young.
She was born here and I rescued her after I saw three little kittens stick their heads out from under the wash house. They climbed out and ate the scraps I had put out for my terrapins. Their meal consisted of cantaloupe, fruit cocktail, lettuce and watermelon. My heart broke watching them. I caught two and Pearl got away and climbed up into the back of an old refrigerator that was in the smoke house. I had to take the back apart to rescue her and I believe it traumatized her for life.
Pearl was always very skittish and never wanted to live in the house. she preferred an area that was high enough to see what was going on around her. I put a cat crate on top of a cabinet on the porch and lined it with hay and a sleeping bag. One night I stepped out onto the porch and saw Tim's head sticking out with his legs bent up and out. I was stunned until I realized that Pearl had crawled in on top of him and it was her legs I saw!
Tim died last year on Valentine's Day and Pearl joined him this year, three days later. I know they are happily ensconced is another nice crate, watching us.
Martha was hatched out in March of 2013. She was a smallish red hen. I could never decide if she was a Rhode Island Red or a breed I haven't seen. Martha was sweet and shy. She kept apart from the other girlie-hens until breakfast and dinner. Martha died last Friday morning.
I feel really bad because I believe Martha was sick before I realized it. I was sick and wasn't going outside very much. She ate well right up until she died. I was giving her antibiotics and Red Cell but it didn't help. My veterinarian knows nothing about birds so there was no use taking her in.
Everytime I step onto the porch, I look up at the cabinet to see Pearl. When I count the chickens at night and morning, I always miss the little red hen.