Several years ago now I attended some kind of writing thing at a library in the little town of Oviedo, Florida. Afterwards, as I exited the library and was walking to my car, I noticed some chickens wandering around the library grounds. The grounds are lovely by the way, leafy, grassy and laden with towering oak trees (my hastily snapped photos do not do it justice by any means.)
Of course, I immediately thought, “someone’s chickens got out.” I think that was a safe assumption to make.
I wondered if I should alert somebody but waited a bit. Something about these chickens was a little off. They seemed way too comfortable, like maybe they lived there or something. Plus, several people came and went from the library and didn’t pay even the slightest amount of attention to them, as if they were a common fixture.
A few weeks later, I attended another installment of the same writing thing. Last one, it was pretty boring so I didn’t go back after that. Sounds kinda mean but I’m just being honest here. Guess what though, I saw those same chickens again, just wandering around like they owned the place.
Strange but kinda cool.
Fast track to current times, I was back in Oviedo once again for a mini-break, as the Brits call it, and I thought about that library I’d visited several years earlier. I decided to stop back by there and guess what I saw… chickens! Same chickens or different ones I can’t say but they were chickens nonetheless!
I marveled that there was no fence whatsoever around the library. It’s completely open space. Yet these chickens seem to know where home is. By this point it just seemed perfectly normal for them to be there.
By the way, taking photos of chickens isn’t as easy as it looks. They are constantly on the move! Plucking the earth in such a greedy manner. In their defense though, it has been rainy this week so I’m sure the ground is nice and soft… easy pickings for tasty snacks.
I also briefly visited The Little Big Econ National Forest, which was just beautiful, and I became determined to get some photos of the Econlockhatchee River (which most people seem to pronounce like “econlahatchie”.)
Enjoy and I hope everyone has a great wacky Wednesday!
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The Sunstone Journal 
I love this. From the chickens to the river photos. Landscapes shots of other places always bring out the dreamer in me.
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Oh yes me too! Thank you!
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You’re welcome.
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Don’t be so hasty dismissing that writing seminar, JoAnn, as it did engage your creativity. No matter whether your muse was the instructor inside the library or the poultry beyond, you’re writing now. Engagingly so.
Indirect and overgrown as it is, the path still got us here, right?
Love the river pictures, particularly the last one. Gives us some idea of how the entire state appeared centuries ago. Heck, even (more or less so) within living memory of some Floridians.
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Yes, that is true. If I hadn’t gone there for “that writing thing” then I would have never discovered what a beautiful unique place this was and I would’ve never had the pleasure of seeing those lovely library chickens. You are so correct about that! Thank you for helping me see the bright side!
Here’s a little bonus for you. I was going to mention it in the post and I can’t believe I ended up forgetting. Literally the millisecond after I took that last photo of the river (it’s the one that comes first in the post) all of a sudden two kayakers came around the corner of that top branch of the river. It was so remarkable. Because of the rainy weather there wasn’t anyone out so it was a pleasant surprise.
It’s amazing to think how everything looked before it got developed the way it is today…especially Manhattan! You’re right, this is a small reminder.
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Of course, you yelled at the kayakers for intruding on your perfect moment, right JoAnn? To reinforce the point, you started tossing coconuts at them.
They (whoever it is “they” are) thought it was foolish of you to pull that wagon full of coconuts behind you everywhere, but who’s laughing now? She who was prepared!
Seriously, though, awesome picture! Time, immemorial, just a second before the 21st century. No doubt, the otherworldly chickens put you in mind of the eternal.
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What beautiful country! I have to head up to the mountains for my hikes. To damned hot here. But they are still dry as dust and the colors are brown, gray, khaki and muted olive.
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That is one of the advantages of living in Florida. Year round green! 🙂🌱
I do miss the mountains a lot though. It’s completely flat here.🥞
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I am surprised that the chickens survive … I mean at night other straying animals might eat them … unless they fly into a tree, they can, if they want to.
The river photos are beautiful!
A good Wednesday to you too!
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Thank you, I hope you had a good one, too!
I never thought about that. Perhaps these chickens have some sort of guardian angel!
😇🐓😂
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Yes, thanks, I did! I like the idea with the guardian angel!
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We’ve been struggling with a heat wave, so the pictures of lush green grass and lovely water are a delight. Wandering chickens are icing on the top.
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Yes for sure! 🙂
Little surprises like that in life are just a joy aren’t they?
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Those chickens own the premises😂
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Yes, and the cool thing is everybody leaves them alone. Too awesome!
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People decided to mind their business. The chicken might be free range too.
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Library chickens – how cool is that!
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Right 🙂🐓
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You didn’t chicken out!
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Ha ha 🤣🐓
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