I relayed to Hubby a conversation with a friend about how I wasn’t particularly interested in living to a ripe old age. She responded snippily, “Then I hope you die young.”
Hubby lovingly responded: “Too late for that.”
~~~
I was listening with earbuds to one of my new favorite songs, “Trees” by Twenty One Pilots. (Linked to save you the trouble, M.) The last few seconds pretty much enrapture me. I was thus fully engaged when Hubby came over and said something I didn’t hear. I held up a “just a moment” finger, not wanting to interrupt those last few glorious seconds.
Then I felt like a jerk, so I pulled out an earbud to listen to him. “So we only got one egg today? Bummer,” and he walked away.
He thought I was answering his question, which clearly had been, “How many eggs did we get today?”
The answer was indeed one, so I didn’t need to follow up. I put my earbud back in and proceeded to enjoy the next song.
~~~
Rooster Update:
Trying YET AGAIN to get only hens from Chicken Lady seemed like a losing proposition. (How many times did I try swapping out birds with her? I’ve lost count.) So I had decided to take our rooster problem into my own hands, literally.
I started researching “how to butcher chickens.” I even spoke with a friend who had once assisted in the process and Facetimed with my in-laws for more particulars. My plan, after the deed was done, was to write a blog post titled, “How I Solved My Rooster Problem, In Pictures.”
I wouldn’t let the pics be too graphic, but you’d get the idea: A chronology of the rooster’s demise, culminating in a photo of my smiling family sitting around the dining room table with a glistening roasted bird as the centerpiece. Below would be the words: Happy Thanksgiving!
Sure, a chicken isn’t a turkey, but a turkey would be too big for us, and eating our own rooster would be more fulfilling.
Plus, butchering it myself would make me feel like a friggin’ Warrior!
Just when I’d gotten myself pretty well psyched up by my plan, I got a message in response to a long-forgotten craigslist ad. Someone wanted my roosters. I had only listed one, but we discovered two more since then. I let him pick up all three the next day.
Was I disappointed? Slightly. Relived? Well, given how hard it was to pick up and subdue one of those big heavy birds, and thinking I would manfully string it up to a tree… Probably just as well.
I’m relieved they’re gone, and I no longer have to feed them.
Now I lie in wait to see what the other five birds decide to do: crow or lay. They should’ve started laying by now, so either they’re all boys, or they’re not as old as I was told they were.
I’ll let you know. And in the meantime, I’m keeping Rooster Guy’s number handy.
))
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Well, a warrior lady who listens to music …
Still, I would have like to have read the other possible post – could have been … err … interesting. Well, glad Sir Craigslist came by to help.
Maybe you should put a baking dish in the chicken coop and say, “Lay eggs or this will be your new, much hotter, home.”
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Hahahaha! If only that would work with these blasted birds!
Hmm… Blasting birds. That could be a possibility too. 😉
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Do you notice a difference with market eggs and freshly laid eggs?
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Yep. Fresh eggs are better. Just like the fruit from our trees is better. The difference in the fruit is far more noticeable, though.
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Ah! Whenever we drive through the country we always see signs for fresh eggs and are curious if it’s worth the stop so will stop next time for fresh eggs 😀
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Truly! Then report back! 🙂
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Well, isn’t your hubby so clever with the mean comeback?? LOL! Ok, I love Twenty-One Pilots and aren’t they from Columbus? Look at us! Ha! I’m always singing the Saturday song in the shower. Trees does have a great ending!
And thank you, because now I know where Foghorn Leghorn got his last name!!!! Love it! Have a great Thanksgiving!
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Bijoux, you cool chic, you! I DID know they were from Columbus. Great stuff comes out of Ohio! 😉 😉
Happy Thanksgiving to you too! 🙂
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Good quip by hubby, and I can’t picture you as the chicken butcher. Seems like a good name for a wrestling foil.
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Haha! I’ll wear a cape emblazoned with a bloody headless chicken! Thanks, Frank. 🙂
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That will work!!!!
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🙂
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I wonder what makes your chicken lady so sure she is giving you hens each time? I know it can be hard to tell but her odds seem worse than if she closed her eyes and pointed. I, for one, am glad that you didn’t have to string the poor bird up to a tree. I’m one of those who prefers to believe that meat comes from the grocery store and anything prior to that didn’t occur.
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Honestly, I wonder if I would’ve had it in me when the moment came. I already know I could never go deer hunting, but a chicken is much smaller. Maybe it would be easier? A higher power knew better and intervened, I suspect.
And, yeah, CL’s odds… She told me she learned from her dad. I wonder if her dad and she have it backwards? She ASSURED me these last five reddish brown ones are hens. We’ll see about that.
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If you get desperate, I’ll give you my sister’s contact info. She’ll get you chickens-not-roosters. Of course, then you have the problem of getting them to your home from rural Indiana!
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Hahaha! Hmm… Yeah. Maybe not worth it. I’ve learned my lesson, anyhow. After these, no more!
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Still, that is odd. Usually, I blame God’s hand, but what the heck would he be trying to tell you???
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Patience? A sense of humor? Learning to let go of control? Maybe he’s actually trying to teach our kids something through our example. I think their lesson learned is: Don’t ever get chickens!!! 😉
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Oh you make me laugh
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There’s always gotta be a silver lining. 🙂
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Well, now that I look at it — at least you don’t have a supply problem when it comes to chicken!
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We did consider raising chickens ourselves, but… meh. The feed is so expensive.
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I don’t have any experience in breeding chicken nor eat anything with feathers anymore. But your narrative is interesting. Thank you, Betsy.
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Thanks, Jo. Pleasure to see you here. 🙂
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“Plus, butchering it myself would make me feel like a friggin warrior.” Lol! This cracked me up.😉
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I’m glad, Jill. And it’s true. If I could manage chicken butchering, I think I’d pretty much feel unstoppable. 🙂
Next I’d field dress a moose! JK. 😉
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Betsy, putting the first two stories together, Hubby deserved the misunderstood answer of one finger after his retort about dying young. At least you did not use the middle one. I will leave your rooster paring strategy to your call. As for dying young, whether it is you or a rooster, Billy Joel once sang “only the good die young,” so you must have a rebellious streak in you, using your Hubby’s barometer of age. Using my barometer as an old fart, you are still a spring chicken. Keith
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The ironic thing is, my husband is several years older than me! He was just being funny, and I totally appreciated it. He’s a quick one!
I knew the whole finger thing could be interpreted a couple of different ways. I was trying to make the wording clear, though I knew I could easily spin off in a new direction with that. I decided to keep it clean. 🙂
I wonder how old Billy Joel was when he said that. Possibly younger than I am now. I’m older than I look.
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Betsy, it sounds like you two have fun together. That is great. Billy Joel was likely in his late twenties being born in 1949. I remember this song got him disinvited to a Catholic university with its opening stanza of “you Catholic girls start much too late.” By the way, I always had the opposite problem looking older than I was at 6’5″ tall. Keith
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We do have fun together. And yikes, Billy Joel. What were you thinking? When you were younger, looking older was probably a benefit. I suppose somewhere along the way a shift happened, however. 🙂
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Betsy, you hit the nail on the head. The practical answer to your question is the shift occurred when I retired and no longer needed the older coutenance in business. Keith
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Hey, it’s great it took that long! I was worried it would have been far sooner.
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Betsy, well I once commented to a friend after seeing Tina Turner in concert that I wish I looked as good as Tina does when I am her age. He said “you don’t look that good now.” Keith
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HAHAHA! What a great “friend.” 😛
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Love your stories!! Hilarious as always! And you know what, I think that rooster thing worked out perfectly. You can ALWAYS say you were willing to butcher one, look like a bad ass and never have to do it! 🙂
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When I relayed this story to my mom, I told her, “It’s like I was playing chicken (no pun intended) with God. As though I was saying, ‘I’m going to kill them myse-eeelfff.’ So suddenly He was like, ‘Wait! No, I’ll find you a buyer!'” 🙂
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I always appreciate a great spouse comeback!
Glad you didn’t have to butcher the rooster. Though that would have been a great blog. You are becoming such a mini-farmer.
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My Hubby’s quick wit is one of the things I love most about him. And the irony is that he’s several years older! 😛
I’m glad I didn’t have to butcher the rooster, either, for the most part. We still have these five as yet unsexed birds, so who knows what the future will hold with them.
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Ah. Another connection. My husband is also older! 🙂
Oh boy, here’s to a 5 count of hens!!!!
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Wouldn’t that be nice? I’m hopeful. But again… why haven’t they started laying by now? 😡
Used it correctly!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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😂
I know nothing about chickens. I mean n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Well, other than how to eat them.
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It would be pretty scary if you didn’t know how to eat them. I’m glad you have the basics down, CM. 😝 Look what I made! (It’s because I’m on my phone this time.)
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hello hello hello hello
I have never listened to Twenty One Pilots before – I am now listening to them on Spotify … thank you for the introduction!
You guys are hilarious!!!! He is cheeky!!!
If the 2nd scenario happened to us, I would have forgotten that he even came over to talk to me …. till much later in the day, or perhaps even several days later!
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Ju-Lyn!!!!! Look at you! Listening to the song! Writing in the lyrics! (As extensive as they are. haha.) Extra double triple bonus points to you, my friend!
Hubby is quite cheeky, and I so love him for it. 🙂
I hope you enjoyed the song. 🙂
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I did – there is so much good music out there so I am always tickled to listen to a good song, especially a new one!
Cheers to cheeky hubbies!
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Cheers indeed! And happy listening. 🙂
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Love Paul’s comeback! My hubs’ sense of humor is far different from mine (and we are several years apart as well), so needless to say, the quips aren’t as entertaining. And I agree with Wynne, you can say you were “this close” to butchering a rooster, and then Craigslist pardoned him 🙂 Or a higher power. Or both 😀 I think it’s so weird you keep getting roosters mixed in with the hens, or supposed hens. We always get our chicks from the fleet store, never had a rooster. Do they even have fleet stores where you are?
I don’t know that I’ve ever heard Twenty One Pilots (I have heard Stone Temple Pilots), but I did pop over to listen (thanks for the link!) Great song.
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Paul gets up during the night whenever Joe calls. (I, as the mom, have done my time.) He was relaying how many times he had to wake up recently. I said, “Well, I hope one of these days you don’t wake up.” 😉
I was willing to give the rooster butchering a try, but I wonder if I would’ve said, “Never again,” assuming I could go through with it, or would I have a “Next time will be easier” attitude? Who knows? What do you do with yours when they stop laying? Do you just keep them until they die?
Stone Temple Pilots was also a good band. Twenty One Pilots has a unique style, that I find surprisingly appealing. Thanks for listening (and, of course, reading)!
Oh! And we could buy our chicks from the Country Feed Store, but they were about 5 times more expensive. The first time we got chicks, they were from someone on-line, and they were all (four) hens. We thought we’d have the same luck this time, but these chicken people really stink at this.
“Craigslist pardoned him.” Heh! 🙂
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Wait, you said WHAT to Paul? I hope that was in the context of letting Joe soothe himself back to sleep ….
Anyway, Vikes vs the Packers today! Game starts at noon our time–get out that Packer football toy of Joe’s … Wait … I mean, that Vikings toy football 😀 😀
We’ve only had one hen (we got it as an add-on when we got some older hens from someone who was getting rid of them) die of old age. We had another one die from egg binding. Hubs did butcher it and stewed it. And stewed it. And stewed it. And it was still tough. Otherwise, what usually happens is they get sick and die or they decide to make a break for it, and a predator gets them. Or a predator tries to get into the coop for some take out. Not sure how our fleet store prices compare to someone selling chicks at their farm.
Within the past few months we did lose another hen that got sick. Now we have three that are not all laying every day. I suspect hubs will want to get more in spring. Eggs are great, but too many eggs and no going into the office means LOTS of eggs.
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I made that comment to Paul last night to get him back for his “too late for that” comment. He knew I was joking. (But I did also hope he didn’t have to wake up during the night.)
You have a good memory about that odious football my clueless mother bought for Joe. So, so funny. I was about to say I’ll let Paul know about the game, but, please. He already knows. 🙂 If we ever get together again, I’ll sit back with my latte and let the two of you animatedly discuss your favorite players, games, plays…
So when the chickens die from illness, do you just… bury them? We sold our last batch when they were nearly done laying. Not sure what we’d do if they otherwise died on us. Our yard’s not that big for burial purposes. But I guess we still could.
The chickens we bought the first time were $4 each. The second time, $7 each. At the store, I think they’re around $35! It SEEMED like we had made the right decision at the time.
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Rooster Guy probably doesn’t pay for a chicken dinner all year. Good for him for being so helpful and resourceful at the same time! I’m sorry you didn’t get your warrior moment though. Lol.
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Haha. Thanks, Peach. If one of the browns ends up being a rooster and the RG isn’t available or interested, I may get another chance.
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🙂
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Oh! But I wanted to see your Thanksgiving posts of chickens for dinner:)
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Right?! That would’ve been epic. Well, if one of these brown ones starts crowing, maybe fresh rooster for Christmas. Nothing says “Welcome Baby Jesus” like a headless chicken.
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Wow, how that worked out for the cocks…I’m sure what ever comes about in the wait, we’ll get a great read out of it. Meanwhile how to divide an egg in seven, or is it six ways?
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Six ways. Well, five. Youngest doesn’t eat eggs. Yep, I’m sure I’ll be posting again about the brown chickens once I figure out what they are. Thanks for reading and commenting, folia. 🙂
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We tried the chicken thing once. The eggs were great and I made lots of pasta but the cost of the feed was so expensive that we paid a farmer to butcher ours. Especially when they stopped laying eggs in the winter. Lol
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Yes, the feed is cost-prohibitive, I’m realizing, so the only real good that comes from this whole adventure is the responsibility the kids learn and the allowance they get for doing the chores. We parents, on the other hand, lose money.
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Oh my, I’m not sure I could process my own roosters, but you would definitely be a warrior if you did. I think you’d have been good on the frontier!
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Frontier life seems so rough, having read Little House on the Prairie, but I also figure they didn’t know any different. So would it seem like a rough life? Hmm.
I’m glad I don’t have to find out!
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Yes, that was just how it was. I wonder if people from the frontier times would laugh at our lives or find them to be challenging too…
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I imagine, looking at our lives, they would think we have it so easy. If we were able to look ahead 100 years, I’m sure we’d think those people have it easy too. I can’t imagine what technology will be like then. Will people have to do any chores or tasks anymore, or will most things be done by machines and robots? Scary.
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Yes, I agree. Too sedentary – that’s bad for health.
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True. I guess it’s a good thing we live now. 🙂 (But also, Little House times people would say we’re too sedentary. And they’d probably be right. )
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Yes, of course it’s hard for me to sit still so maybe I’d have been okay back then. Who knows what my survival skills would have been like though!
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One of the Little House books talked about having to wake up at midnight in the dead of winter to go move the cows. If the cows didn’t wake up and move around a bit, they would freeze to death. I’m pretty sure that’s the point where I’d rather die. Cold + me + waking up at midnight to go out in the cold and push cows?! = no bueno!
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I remember that! My son and I read the entire series, even the offshoots – 15 minutes every night, for years… Also, do you remember how everyone would have to get up in the night to harvest when there was a threat of frost in the morning? That would be rough.
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Ugh. I don’t. They had such rough lives. I read them to my girls too. Gosh, did we finish the entire series? I think we ventured into a different series and never got back to it. Dang. I’ll put it back on the list! Even though my girls are now 16, 14, and 11, I still read to them every night. Even kids books, we’re all enjoying them–husband included. 🙂
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That’s so nice. My first 3 kids are 2 years apart then there’s a 3 year gap til our 4th. They all enjoyed the youngest’s stories and videos on tv (back in the VCR days).
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We still have a VCR. And it still gets used. 🙂 First three are 2-2.5 years apart. Fourth child is 7 years younger than the third. He only hears book time if he’s still hungry and eating nearby when he’s normally in bed by then. I hope I won’t slack when he’s the only one home. 😦
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The youngest benefits in many ways. Even when you change your routines. I’m the youngest of 4 and felt that way too and our youngest recently said the same thing!
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I think the youngest benefits by the parents being older, more tired, and more lax on discipline. 😛
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Older and more tired for sure esp during the teenage years!
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In a year and 4 months, I’ll have three teenage daughters. Heaven help me! 😉
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Aw. It’s kind of a shame that the roosters were picked up. A “From-Termination-To-Table” video would’ve gone viral on YouTube, I’m sure.
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Ha! With that headline, maybe. 🙂 I thought of you as I wrote that first story, thinking, “Shoot, if Mike reads this post, he’s going to get a repeat.” But when I told that story to you, I thought, “That’s funny. I should include that in a post.” 🙂
And it’s possible I’ll need to butcher a rooster for Christmas. We’ll see what becomes of these brown birds.
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I’m so glad I’m such an inspiration.
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Always, Mike. Always. 🙂
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Your roosters got a reprieve from the governor, so to speak. I look forward to reading about what happens next with the [I hope] laying hens. Happy Thanksgiving, Betsy + family + assorted chickens who are not roosters
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Yes, the roosters got lucky. Then again, who knows what their new owners have planned for them. (dun dun duhhhhhn). Happy Thanksgiving to the Bean residence as well!! 🙂
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You know, I’m not a big Twenty One Pilots fan, but I have to admit: that song is pretty catchy. Thanks for the link!
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I was hoping you would appreciate the personal shout-out. I knew you would want to look it up. 🙂
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Yes, and I’m always down for new music recommendations. At first I was thinking they might’ve done a remake of the Rush classic “The Trees,” but…not even close.
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Betsy, I’m laughing at your husband’s response and bet you get him back lots of times too! 😀 Having slightly dabbled with the thoughts of keeping chickens your post here is making up my mind to stop the mad thought now! Blimey, you were actually prepared to make the chicken a meal – I’m in awe! Glad Craigslist came up with someone to take them! Good luck with the eggs! As for the music, love it!
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Hubby and I raz each other often. It’s fun. Insulting each other is the definition of love, right? 😉 I can’t imagine anyone could have much worse of a time with their chickens than we have, so you might be safe. 😛 Thanks for checking out the song, Annika! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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