CityView Magazine

CityViewNC .com | 13 an old adage in our effort to herd chickens. We approached them from two sides and pinched them back onto our spread. en it became a matter of trying to narrow the escape routes. Under the theorem of more flies caught with honey, I threw a handful of sunflower seeds into the fenced area. at was enough to convince five. Aer a couple of times around the fig tree and grape vine, four more had enough of being chased by two aging, sweaty and frustrated humans running them around the property, and they joined the other five at the trough. But there is that one daggone Dominique that thinks she controls her own destiny. We chased her three times around the pen without her choosing its refuge. ree more through the loropetalums that are not good enough for lounging but apparently perfect for escaping, and four trips into the asparagus bed. Finally, she felt like she could catch her breath under a small boxwood. With sweat soaking my T-shirt and dripping into my eyes, I crept up behind her, bent over, and snatched a leg out from under the shrub. at leg had attached to it a squawking and deservedly frightened fugitive hen. We peered into each other's eyes, her wondering how to get turned right side up again and me wondering if she should take her same place on the food chain as did her brother a few weeks back. Granting her clemency, I released her in the coop beside her nine bewildered sisters. Walking back to the house, I thought about how a drone operator would have laughed, cackled even, at the overhead video of Susanna and me herding chickens on a Saturday morning. How a zoom-in on the aermath would have seen Dominique calmly eating sunflower seeds inside the fence while the two sweaty and outwitted humans retreated to the house for cool water and dry clothing. It occurred to me that I was dumber than the chicken. And it occurred to me that if the time comes to replace my dear departed dog, perhaps I should consider a border collie or an Australian shepherd such that my inferior level of intelligence would be hidden by that of the dog's herding instinct. Bill McFadyen can be reached at propertybill@nc.rr.com. Your source for home decor fabrics & wallpapers MILL END THE STORE E s t . 1 9 3 6 Yo u a re c o rd i a l l y i n v i t e d t o e x p l o re o u r e x c i t i n g , s e m i a n n u a l S ale 20% off A l l i n - s t o re d e s i g n e r t e x t i l e s & t r i m s S e p t e m b e r 1 - 3 0 , 2 0 2 0 FABRIC for LIFE 2706 Bragg Boulevard, Fayetteville 910-483-2375 themillendstore.org Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Specializing in custom draperies, pillows & more....

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