In Which Thelma and Louise Are Sighted
at the Local Shopping Center

It was right out of the blue.  I was driving along, not having a single thought about chooks, when all of a sudden–there she was!  Let me just back up and explain:  Since the two of them went walkabout, they ceased to be Supremes.  Given that they never had individual names while they were part of the threesome, it was easy enough to endow them, in absentia, with suitable names.  Under the circumstances, I think it is fair to refer to them as Thelma and Louise.

Anyway, back to my tale.  I was just about to pull into the local (very small) shopping centre when I saw this big black Australorp hen on the sidewalk in front of a real estate office.  (Don’t you just love these little episodes of spontaeous irony?)  I only got a glimpse of her, as I was negotiating a turn at the time. (I won the negotiation, by the way). Where was I?  Oh, yes.  Well I think she saw me and/or recognised the car.  It’s all a haze now, but I believe she turned tail and ran.  I thought I saw a second big black hen a little farther on, near the sidewalk.  By the time I came out of the shopping centre, they were gone.

I did go back later and cruise the area, but to no avail.  I should explain that the location of the sighting would have to be described as on the fringe of a residential area.  There were no houses close to the spot where she was when I saw her.  It is just under four kms from here (my house) by road, but I doubt they followed the road as neither of them can drive.  There are houses scattered along the first three kms, but mostly hidden in the trees.  It’s a natural, wooded area.  I think they could have traveled through the woods, a bit each day, and arrived at the shopping centre easily in the time since they were last here.  I also think they are unlikely to be the free-ranging chooks of  someone living in the area.  It just isn’t an area where people keep chooks, especially free-rangers.  They had to be my runaways.

Of course, they have no way of knowing that Louie (now called Satchmo) is no longer here, and that Ella/Elton has been reinstated as the Resident Rooster.  Even if they did know, I have no way of knowing whether they would want to return to the fold.  I’m not going to try to track them down, nor make enquiries.  They left of their own accord.  I reckon they could find their way back if they wanted to.  Dogs do it all the time, and chickens are smarter than dogs.  For example, Louie learned his lesson immediately and is behaving in a most exemplary manner.  He and his two lovely new wives are getting along wonderfully well.  As are Ella/Elton and his two wives. So I guess all’s well that ends well.  Thelma and Louise can enjoy their freedom all they like, without Louie to menace them.  But I reckon no one is feeding them cheese where they are…      MM