tennis shoes

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

My summer routine has been to get up at 5:00, put on my swimsuit, go to the pool, swim, shower, get dressed, then come home to feed the humans and animals. It has worked pretty well most of the time.

Occasionally I get in the flight path of chickens exiting the coop and end up with chicken footprints on my shirt.

This is not a problem on Monday or Friday when I have no piano students or places to be. However, on Thursdays, I volunteer at a children’s Bible club where we wear a particular shirt.

I’ve learned that I should wait until just before I leave to put on the shirt to avoid evidence of chickens on it.

Another option is to wear an apron over my shirt. I have done this, especially during the school year when I have to go to work in the mornings. I must be careful when choosing my apron, though. The one with red dots on it is particularly attractive to the chickens and the peck at it.

My shoes are another issue. I have a pair of duck shoes that I wear only in the chicken coop. That way whatever gets on them stays outside. 

I had to rename them “muck” shoes because the chickens were offended at the use of the word duck. Besides, “muck” is a polite way to describe what gets on the shoes.

If I am just throwing something to the chickens without actually entering the coop, I wear my sneakers.

I looked down yesterday as I was teaching lessons and found a feather on my sneaker. I guess it had made its way into the back yard, and I had to smile. 

It reminded me of when my children were infants. I didn’t feel fully dressed unless I had a little bit of spit up on my shoulder.

Now I am a chicken wrangler, and I’m only dressed when I have feathers on my shoes.