This is how I intend to face 2010! I could not resist posting this picture of Jupiter when he was a young and very happy cockerel. He had the sweetest personality and really seemed to enjoy life, especially when he had a triple wedding with his feisty chicks, Saturn, Mercury and Venus. The amazing thing was that despite his docile manner, he once fought off a stoat or weasel that had got into the coop.
I entered the enclosure when it was still dark and saw a carpet of feathers, a hen missing and the rest of them huddled in a corner. I had to wait for a while until it was light and made preparations to bury one of them. But as I went in to find the body, I could see all were still alive. I found the third hen huddled in a corner of the coop unharmed. It was then I realised that the feathers had come from Jupiter, mainly around his neck which was almost bald. I was so moved to think that this sweet creature had defended his brood and took a bashing for it.
I think this story shows how similar we are to our beautiful animals. Sometimes their life may seem more simple to ours, but I think fundamentally, we are all striving for the same thing - Health, happiness and Joie de Vivre!!
Hope that 2010 brings this to us all, including our feathered or four footed freinds!
