and the Second went where?

It's the Third day of Christmas ...what happened to the Second?
Atrocious colds are working their way around our household ...my poor other half has just struggled off to work ..his version has become a serial cold that just doesn't go away ..it kind of looks like it's fading and then like a huge wave comes rushing back ..darn it.

We continue to have a Cold spell ..it is stunningly beautiful with frost crystals coating the trees  and the light is Wonderful. Deep sultry blues over the Mountains at night and pale pinks on the horizon in the evenings. But it remains very cold ...at least it's warmed to around 5 or 6 f now it was well into the minus range.

I've  refilled the little feeder by the front door ..it's one of those 5inch square mesh containers that hold a square slab of fat and seeds. The Nut hatches and Chickadees are faithful visitors and a Wood Pecker occasionally pays a call. How they survive I do not know ..but they eat early and late. Thinking of small birds.. Banty the hen is resident once again in the laundry room . She lives in a cat carrier and chats when I throw the washing about. She's a Dutch Bantam like this one (Photo kindly provide by Wiki from here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dutch_Bantam_Pullet.jpg )

Banty looked just like this...now imagine a little grey old lady version.

She's tiny, just literally a small handful of feathers . (One handful not two) She was bought as a day old chick to encourage the pheasant chicks we were hatching to peck ..they need an enthusiastic example and she was great at that role. She then became the girls pet and survived Much love... and many interventions (Be gentle ! Put banty down!) Memorable achievements were made "We've taught banty to fly!" "and look at banty balancing on the beach ball!" She somehow  survived the affection (She may be small but my crikey she is tough) and when she went broody she was given half a dozen day old chicks to rear (from large breed hens as they are meant to cope with the cold better) she reared them well  and they were intended to be company for her until we realized that she was so dwarfed by her huge children ( she nipped around beneath them) that it might not be such a great idea.

So back she went to retirement in a nice airy pen with a pheasant next door for company and she lived on ...and on ..and on ..outlasting (so far) all but one of her huge off spring. Three Winters ago I though the cold was going to be too much for her so I smuggled her into the house to die in peace ... and here we are three Winters later! She is outside in the Summer and returns to her laundry apartment for the Winter . She has her pen and a budgie mirror with bell for entertainment .. I just wish she could read.

So if perchance you need a recommendation for a sweet natured, charming breed of naturally tiny hen...  Then may I recommend A Dutch Bantam (They are also Very! very! sturdy!) and gosh darn it this has turned out to be a post about a hen on the third day of Christmas ..so if I was capable of sticking to a theme it would be spot on ...I have to confess though it was an accident...such is life :0)

Well now I better return to the chores I've been avoiding ...but perhaps a cup of tea would be in order first and then ....I'll have used up all excuses.