God is such an amazing artist!!

I've been seeing this picture of a rooster floating around on Facebook, to which I was certain just had to be photoshopped.

I have a lot of experience with digital artistry and know how easily this could be done.  But I really wanted to know if God would really create a fowl that looked as beautiful as this, and I was stunned to find that He did indeed create a bird to look like this!  I found several more photos of this gorgeous bird.

It's called the Green Junglefowl, and It's found in Indonesia, Java and the neighboring islands of Lesser Sundas E to Flores, Sumba, and Alor.

Green Junglefowl are of only a handful of species of gallinaceous birds (heavy-bodied largely ground-feeding domestic or game birds) capable of sustained flight over open water.  There are many documented cases of the species flying over the sea between islets.  The male has a unique and unusual call.  I like it!  You can click here, and it will take you to a page where if you scroll down below the map, you'll see a bunch of sound bytes that you can click on.

My research of the breed found that in the wild, pairs remain together indefinitely and there is an extended relationship with both parents and their chicks of successive years.  I did find another source however which stated that they live in small flocks with one male providing for a flock of 5 females or so, to which his position can be challenged by other males.  The latter makes more sense to me.

They are in the pheasant family, and can be kept as pets!  They do great in hot temperatures, and require specialized diets.  They do not fare well in cold climates.

The female Green Junglefowl are much more subdued in appearance, but they have very sweet faces with big eyes!

Just beautiful, beautiful birds!  If you have any desire to buy a pair, you are looking at $500 on up!!  That's quite a leap from my $2.50 per bird with our Buff Orpingtons, and VERY much out of my range (and climate)!!

Tara said that if we had one of these, she'd name it "Rainbow".  

Clash Your Clothes....

Yep!  It's "Clash Your Clothes" night at Awana.  Tara opted out from dressing up, but Madeline went ALL OUT!!

Adorable Valentine Chickens!!

Tara and Madeline both have friends who either are chicken owners, or just plain love chickens.  For these "special" friends, Tara and Madeline made these Valentines...

Are these not just the CUTEST things?

Just look at all of those hearts!  Heart shaped crown, waddle, wings and of course the adorable 2 sided heart velum paper for the bodies.   The beak is simply a little paper cone.  For the crown, I made a slit with an exacto knife so the girls could slip the heart down in and then secure it with a bead of glue along each side on the underside.  Simple and cute!!  I "gently" secured it like this so things could dry, and added the google eyes last.

And here's a picture of the girles.  They have grown a lot in this past year, and continue to keep their sweet innocence!  Here's Tara:

And here's my baby Madeline after almost a year of no blogging!

 I must admit, I was sad to see the flock go this morning when the girlies took them to school (Madeline's Valentine party is celebrated today).  Tara, now that she's in middle school (Ughh!!  Did I just say Tara is in middle school?  I'm still not used to it.), anyway, she doesn't get to celebrate Valentines Day, but she made the cards for her special friends just the same.  Madeline used the typical store bought Valentine's for the rest of her class.

God and Chickens...

I know, I know.  It has been nearly a year since I have blogged.  I'm sorry.  I am going to start up again and hopefully slowly catch everyone up.  But for now, I just wondered something and I'll share with you my results!

Are you aware of how many times chickens are referenced in the Bible?   I was wondering this, so I did a little study yesterday.  Not that God doesn't love all of His creation, but He certainly gives our feathered critters a lot of attention/reference in The Scriptures!

Here are all of the references to "Rooster" in the bible:

• Proverbs 30:31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.

• Matthew 26:34  Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

• Matthew 26:74  Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.

• Matthew 26:75And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

• Mark 13:35  Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—

• Mark 14:30  And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

• Mark 14:68  But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.

• Mark 14:72  And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

• Luke 22:34  Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

• Luke 22:60  But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

• Luke 22:61  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”

• John 13:38  Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

• John 18:27  Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

Here are all the references to "Hen" In the bible:

• Matthew 23:37  [ Lament over Jerusalem ] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

• Luke 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

And finally, here are all the references of "Fowl" in the bible:

• Leviticus 7:26  Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places.

• 1 Kings 4:23  ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

That equates to 17 references in 7 books of the bible.

Now doesn't that just make you smile?  

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Kelly