The big snowman when I was 5 years old

This is in the pasture at the Atwood Hatchery that belonged to Aunt Laura and Uncle Ed in Comanche.  The woman on the right of the snowman is my mom Anna Louise.  Bill and I are sitting on the home-made sled that Daddy made for the occasion.  I am sure he took this picture.

On the left you can see one of the chicken houses at the Atwood Hatchery where the hens laid eggs.

There is more about this special winter day on this blog at

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3801104567582240677#editor/target=post;postID=4242736856078910379

Why I love chickens

Uncle Ed and Aunt Laura Atwood

I spent a lot of time with Aunt Laura looking after the chickens at the Atwood  Hatchery.  I remember watching her "grade" eggs with a machine that had a "candle" light to see if the egg was fertile. If it was fertile it had a  tiny drop of blood in it.  The machine sorted the eggs according to their weight.  Double yolk eggs were good to eat but not to hatch chicks from.

I went with her to feed the chickens in each chicken house.  She had to knock on the door so the silly things could get all excited and fluttery and settle down again before we could go in.  The egg boxes were along one wall.  I was allowed to help gather the eggs and put them in wire baskets that she carried.  I just had to be sure I counted how many I added.

Always I have loved to watch chickens, and to listen to them talking softly to each other, and see them turn from tiny balls of fluff to little ugly things with pinfeathers, to big bustling hens over the weeks.  I never cared to go near a rooster, although I think they are beautiful.  When you are a little person, a rooster will try to scare you and even attack sometime if he thinks you are after his hens.