Yesterday, one of the members of the Hard Luck Hen Collective left the ABC House for that big chicken coop in the sky. Nearly two years old, we believe Carmelita passed of natural causes. One of my housemates buried her in the backyard this morning. I couldn’t even watch. She was an Aracauna; she had blue legs and feet and laid light blue eggs. She was one of the more affable birds, liked being handled, and was always the first to come running when I called. She was a lady with a fuzzy face and a discerning gaze. I will miss her terribly– I already miss her more than I thought I would.

Here’s Carmelita’s last photograph taken at the end of November, and a photo of her last egg, taken out of the nest box this morning. I cooked it over easy and ate it on Italian Farm Bread. It was delicious. Rest in peace, lady. Chick-Chick-CHIIIICK!