If you are a longtime reader, you know about the dreaded #chickensaga of 2021 in which I tried to build a chicken coop after begging Nikki to agree and halfway through an anonymous neighbor sent me a cease and desist letter since it technically went against our 20 year old HOA that no one enforces. Actually, there are several chicken coops in our neighborhood with roosters, but the difference is that it is in their backyard. We did find out who the neighbor was- the two directly across the street from me.

    Well, I really struggled to know what to do moving forward. I mean, I know chickens may not seem like a big deal to other people but it was in the heart of the pandemic; I was trying to find joy. Also, the legal letter brought up my PTSD from my medical malpractice lawsuit, and it felt very un-neighborly that she never actually walked across the street to let me know her concerns. I had asked my two next door neighbors, at Nikki’s insistence, but didn’t even think about the folx across the street. 

    Before I knew who the culprits were, I thought about making giant passive aggressive signs explaining we were front-line workers trying to find some joy. Nikki talked me out of that. But, when I was shopping for the bedding from my Grandma’s new bed, I found some really cute outdoor, metal chickens. So I decided to buy a few and put them in my front yard. You would not believe this, but not 2 hours later, they were gone! I do not live in a neighborhood where things are stolen. Most of the folx here are either families of young children or retired couples. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the neighbor across the street, feeling like I was being petty. It was an early weekday when they went missing.

    Well, I guess I am not as evolved as Nikki, but I decided to take it one step further and asked the neighborhood listserv if anyone had seen the culprits or if they were the ones who had taken them to return them. I also posted on a city share site, requesting new metal chickens. I am now the owner of a 4 foot tall rooster and several chickens scattered around my yard. They really do bring me joy. And, yeah, I’m also petty. It’s progress not perfection, y’all.