Yesterday we acquired a new chicken – our sixth in as many years. Her predecessors were Stubbi, Catchi, Henny Penny Palin and Nimby. Snooky is her new buddy. My friend Anne Corinne gave her to me. I went over to Sun Circle Farm and picked her up. It’s also very windy over there. However, the wind there is more constant than here. Here we get these big, medium-sized and little gusts. It was as cold over there as here – now the temperature is hovering around O.

The chicken was in a large pen (enclosed) with about 30 other chickens and three ducks. Anne Corinne, her daughter Trillium, and I stood for quite a while watching the chickens and speculating as to which one would get along with Snooki. I figured that I’d end up with a very small, calm bird. I instead ended up with a very large, feisty bird. Trillium, who is very agile and athletic, captured her and I put her in cardboard box, which Anne Corinne sealed with tape.

I put the box on the front seat of the car, and on the way home sang to her. I sang old Beatles tunes, and used the word chicken. As in, “Yesterday all my chickens seemed so far away. . .” and “Imagine all the chickens, living like they do . . .” This seems to quiet the bird in the box. Most likely she was terrified.

I introduced new chicken to Snooky, by putting her right in the roost. Snooky immediately began talking to her, by making soft guttural sounds. I think she was welcoming her to hell, and saying that she was glad to have company. The sound of the wind (it’s a not so dull roar) and the sound of the wind turbine (it’s akin to metal being ripped) have been rather hellish. But, at least the girls were safe.

Once again, I am in the enviable position of having yet another animal to name. Pete wanted to call her TS, short for The Situation. This is the name of the TV character Snooky’s boyfriend. I got to thinking about it, and decided that this name would be more befitting of a rooster. (Right now we don’t have the space for a rooster). So I’ve since been running possible names through my head, Ethel, and Lucy, and Zoey, and Martha included. I’ve now narrowed it down to three – Olivia, Henrietta, and Miranda. I really like the over-obviousness of Henrietta. It’s sort of like naming a dog Spot or Rover. (I would like to name a female dog Orbit and after, name its pups after planets. The meanest, baddest, biggest pup would be named Uranus. And the fastest would be named Mercury. And the one that most likes water would be named Neptune.

So let’s see. I have to make a decision. Chicken has to have a name. Chicken Delight, Fritters, also come to mind.

Okay. I have decided that her name is Henrietta. This is a name that I think is befitting of a large chicken, one that in her day is going to rule the roost. It’s also a name that indicates she’s a successor to Henny Penny Palin.

Perhaps I will now feel less bad about HPP’s demise. I still can’t believe she’s dead.

Next: 359. Down Dog (A Classic Yoga Pose)