Wednesday, September 07, 2011

"Happy birthday to me..."

To celebrate the momentus occasion of her seventh birthday, Betty would like to share a few snaps from her, frankly huge, photo album.

Over to you, Betty...



Here is me indulging in one of my favourite pastimes...eating.



Although I love to pinch tomatoes from the greenhouse, sweetcorn remains my favourite treat.
When I look in through the french windows and see it being taken from the fridge I get carried away and jump up at the glass leaving dirty feet marks all over it. Oops....





I like to get to know the other creatures that have come and gone while I've lived here. As you can see, I got on particularly well with Jack (rest his little soul) until I tried to pinch his dinner. Then he grabbed me. Ouch!













Flo gives me a lot of dirty looks. I suspect she thinks I'm some freakishly big sparrow and she's just trying to work out how to tackle me.





I like to jump on things...









Sometimes, things I'm not supposed to jump on...









I also get told off (a bit) for bathing where I shouldn't.





And I also like to leave little deposits around the garden. I can't think why Mum wasn't pleased with this one....





I like to be useful , whether it's helping with the gardening....





...for which I'm rewarded with slightly grubby feet...





or enhancing Mums photographs with my presence.





I also like to lend a hand cleaning out my eglu. Sort of. Actually, I'm just waiting for Dad to move it so I can get at all the bugs underneath.






Looking this good is a full time occupation so I spend a lot of time on my appearance.





And I'm nothing if not stoical. Look at the weather conditions I have to put up with! I do knock at the door to try and get into the kitchen, but I don't think Mum and Dad can always hear me...










My least favourite time of the year is when I have to go through the palaver of moulting. This makes me very sad and a bit grumpy but I do get let in to the kitchen for sweetcorn so it could be worse.













I have heard some giggling over my appearance at this time which I must say is uncalled for.






I do spend a little more time napping in the daytime than I used to. Well, I'm no spring chicken y'know.









Even though I'm now seven I still manage to lay four or five eggs a week, sometimes more!



Mum and Dad seem to like them. They like the bright orange yolks and the fact that I've never laid a single egg with any thing in it that shouldn't be there (such as a spot of blood for instance)


All in all they should think themselves lucky that I've chosen to grace them with my presence for the last six and a half years. They seem to think I'm the lucky one for having this lovely big garden to explore and never having to spend a minute cooped up, like some other chickens. A lot of them don't reach my age apparently...poor things.




And of course, I am very beautiful!






By the way, have you noticed that after last years moult I decided to change my 'parting'? It now goes to the left and although at first I wasn't sure if it suited me I must say I was rather pleased to be able to see out of my right eye for the first time in six years.