Efforts Rewarded with Chicken

Wouldn't that make a fantastic headline?

Just wanted to share a quick little story that made me laugh.

Last Friday morning (early, early morning...so early that it makes me sick thinking about it) we had to wake up for our irrigation turn. Actually, our time for the water doesn't technically start until 5:24 am, which isn't too bad (although it's not like I am dying to get up even then...) However, all of the people on our block who take the water before us are...well...senior citizens (very very senior, like over 80s senior). They tend to forget to send the water down our way. So, we wake up about 3 hours early and check to see if it is sent to our block. Well, it wasn't. Nor, did it appear, that our neighbor remembered that it was coming today (I mean, who can blame him, it was disgustingly early). Well, we were concerned that his lawn and garden would die if he missed his turn, so we gave him a call. At 2 am. I think it might have scared the pants off of him. Probably not the best thing for a fellow getting on in years. But, I think his heart survived (I know it did, in fact, as you will soon see).

He apologized profusely and went out to water his yard. My husband decided to just walk down the few houses and see how he was doing. I went back to bed :). After waiting (sleeplessly, unfortunately) for him to return, he finally came back about 25 minutes later. As he sleepily got into bed, I asked him if the neighbor was ok. He responded by saying that he wasn't going to check on him in the future. I was thinking - "that's not very nice" (though, possibly understandable, considering how early it was...). I thought perhaps he had just talked his ear off or something. No. My husband proceeds to explain by saying:

"He gave me a chicken."

Insane picture appears in my mind at this point: a live, feathered, clucking fowl. Which is when I burst out laughing hysterically. I just couldn't believe it. (If this doesn't sound as funny to you, try thinking about it during the wee hours of the morning. It is very humorous then.)

Of course, it wasn't a live chicken. But, I just couldn't help giggling uncontrollably as I imagined our neighbor dragging my husband inside and presenting him with a (very dead and cooked) chicken. It was his way of saying,

"Thanks for calling me in the middle of the night"

His heart is definitely still good :)

P.S. We ate that bird for dinner yesterday. It was good.

P.P.S. (I promise I will stop inserting comments in parentheses now)