oh, life.

I went to LA to spend the night with a friend (for reasons, again, that I can't elaborate on now.)  And left the girls all night for the first time.   They did fine, I did fine.   When I first left I felt that I couldn't make it 3 hours without them, much less 24.  But as the hours passed... and there was no screaming...it came to me that I probably could have stayed another night, or even two. Tonight's entry will be brief, but important.  We had our first egg appear today!  Brad had started telling the chickens to "start laying or start praying."  Well, I guess they heard him loud and clear, or at least one of them did, for today when I, as usual, peered hopelessly in the nesting box....THERE IT WAS!  A tiny little brown perfect egg.  It had a white downy feather attached to it which makes me assume that it was none other than sweet Cinderella.   She clobbered me today when I reached for the egg. Literally threw herself against my feet and pushed against my ankles with all of her 5 pounds of weight.  At the time I thought, awwwww...she really does love me!  But, now I gather she was protecting her perfect little gem.  Her first one!  I hope she still respects me tomorrow when we cook our real itsy bitsy omlette.