Sad Day In Chickenville

Well, we had a knock on our door today and it's the knock I've been waiting for since we got chickens. It was the village police and he was here to tell us we can't have chickens. He said someone complained. They've been here all this time and we've never had a complaint or anything...there's no smell (especially in the winter) and the noise they make when they are laying is very very minimal compared to all the dogs all around us that bark (one was barking at 5:30am this morning when I was making my bed!).

Then Mr. Po-Po said, "I was out in the street and I swore I was hearing chickens. I listened and sure enough, it WAS chickens! I'm here to tell you it's against village ordinance and you have to get rid of them." I am sure he was handing out a ticket in the street or something and just happened to hear them. I was very nice to him and told him we'd get rid of them as soon as we could possibly do it. I explained that I had asked the Village Clerk and he said it was okay as long as no one complained (that just happened to be the moment he said, "Well...um....er....someone complained!").

He told me that he was going to look into it further and come back to let me know what he found out. He went and talked to the clerk and the clerk told him he remembered our conversation an that I had, indeed, called and asked if I could have chickens, and he had told me it was okay until someone complained. Mr. Po-Po kept apologizing to me and saying, "People should just live and let live (if he said that once he said it 10 times)...I don't see anything wrong with having chickens, but you know how people are." Now how many times has a police officer apologized to you for telling you you're doing something wrong and have to correct it????? NEVER in my experience! I think he felt bad because I was being so sad, but so cooperative. I'm sure he heard them and felt he needed to enforce the law.

So I'm trying to find a good home for my chickens. I've made a few phone calls and have 3 or 4 bites so far. Andy is just so upset, he's more attached to them than I am!! I'm going to miss the eggs, they are so much better than store-bought eggs. But I guess it was bound to happen. I wish I could afford to move to the country, I'd do it in a minute! I just wanted you guys to know since you have been with me and my girls since the beginning.

We're trying to see the bright side. We decided that there are perks...We will be able to do some traveling this summer. I made it to the cabin once with my sister last summer, after we had the chickens, but Andy never did get to go and we didn't get to go together. Part of it was related to Jon, but early in the summer it was due to the chickens. We won't be tied down to the chickens this summer.