My parents live in the countryside, with 4 ducks, 1 dog, and the remnants of 6 chickens— there were 10, but 4 died from wild coyotes.
There are a few early mornings where at least one chicken jumps over their fence and is, with no sense of caution, prancing around the front of the house.
One early morning, as I went out for a walk, I came across a chicken doing just that. I made an attempt to bring him back to the backyard, but he didn’t budge.
Instead, the chicken pecked my right shoe. And he kept pecking it until I backed away.
Seeing such bravado made me bring out a nearby shovel and try scaring him, hoping that my intimidation will make him retreat into the backyard.
The chicken didn’t back down. He ran right past me and hid under a truck and would strategically move far enough to where the shovel couldn’t reach him.
I’ve never encountered such a defiant chicken before.
His boldness impressed me, and because I had to start my walk soon, I left him alone.
By the time I returned from my walk, he was gone—either back in the backyard or off to challenge the next thing that dared to stand in his way.
Here’s my inspiration for the day.