THE BABY CHICKS!

My husband reminded me today that I haven't blogged about everything going on around here. I am so sorry! So, hold onto your seat. I'm going to publish three posts in a week...yes, I need to watch out...my heart might not be able to take the excitement!



Three weeks ago,(the day after the Presidents Day holiday to be exact) we received a call from our Post Office. "Umm... your baby chicks have arrived, but they are all dead."

They still belonged to us, so I had to go pick them up. In the back IAHL was sitting, mourning the loss..."why did we even have to go get them if they're dead?" As in, I don't want to have to deal with this..why are we?
But I explained that someone needed to give them a proper burial. That would be us.

So with fear and trepidation we ordered more for delivery the next week. And we got the call Sunday morning...from Charlottesville! But having attended the first service...(a little unusual for us) we missed the call and they didn't leave a message. So we were invited over to my parents house for lunch with all the great-aunts and uncles and assorted extended family. I was anxious, but couldn't justify a 110+ mile round trip to visit a closed Post Office, with the possibility they were already on the truck to our town. So I pushed it down...and tried to put it out of my mind. Apparently I was successful, as I didn't think about it until 5pm when I checked my answering machine remotely. Yep, we got the call (from Harrisonburg!)

Now at this point I'd like to mention, (in my own defense) that we have NEVER received calls from the Post Office on Sunday. And this is NOT the first time we've ordered chicks. So I don't know if all these people just felt sorry for us and our loss only the week before, or what. But we have never been called on Sunday.

Back to my story. A Harrisonburg postal worker called and said they were there but she would only be at work until 4. (YES, it was 5 when I got it) But I still called the number, just in case.
NOPE.

By this time, I am literally climbing the walls emotionally. Every maternal hormone in my body has kicked in will full force and I am overdosing on adrenaline. But I look calm on the exterior. My dh keeps reassuring me, but even he is surprised that I am so worked up by the circumstances. I just know that every hour counts...literally... tiny little body counts.

So we called OUR local postal worker, because we know where he lives, and ask him if he has any ideas. Nope, but he's willing to check inside at Mt. Crawford to see if they've been delivered yet...absolutely.
What a saint.
We pick him up, drive him to BOTH post offices to see if we can find them, and realize that they are locked up like Fort Knox in the 'burg. Even our local Postmaster got into the fray and tried to get information for us from said lockup, but nothing. God Bless those two.

And we waited.

First thing in the morning I called that number given to me on the answering machine.
"Oh yes, they are still here....drive around back and come in to get them". So I do. Drive past the gates that say NO ADMITTANCE, walk up to the loading dock, terribly intimidated, knowing full well I am not an employee..and finally find someone to help me. (insert blank look on the worker's face).
It is eventually determined that they were NOT still there when I called, they were delivered to my Post Office that morning. Like an hour ago.

We got them, finally.
Only three dead.
Trampled.
Then began the watch....