Where’s the Guinea?

"Where’s the lavender guinea?”

I’ve heard the kids or Elaine ask plenty of questions about the animals on our ranch, but that was a new one. I didn’t know we had a lavender guinea. I didn’t know guineas came in lavender. I’ve looked at the guinea at least a thousand times and I have never noticed a lavender guinea. Now I’m supposed to know where it is.

Nonetheless, when someone at my house wants to know where an animal is, I need to go find it. I went outside with Elaine and found four gray guineas and a bunch of chickens. We looked for the lavender guinea (which is actually lighter gray than the others) but it wasn’t hanging around with his buddies.

Guineas ar

e never far from the other guineas. It was unusal that Ol’ Lavender was not around. After an extensive search of the property I noticed activity in the dog pen. Yep, Ol’ Lavender got must have flown into the dog pen and couldn’t find his way out.

You see, guineas are not the brightest animal in the barnyard. I have seen them fly into a closed window on our house and knock themselves silly. Ten minutes later, another guinea will fly into the same window.

I had every intention of getting the guinea out of the dog pen, but I didn’t get the chance. Emma, our oldest Great Pyrenees decided she would get it out of the pen and gave the guinea a little nudge, sending the guinea into the air.

I wouldn’t say guineas are birds that fly. They can fly over fences and into windows, but that’s about it. With the help of Emma’s nudge, Ol Lavender somehow got up in the wind and flew about the length of a football field, right into the neighbors property.

It was about an hour before sundown and I calculated the guinea would find its way home. I miscalculated-not totally. The guinea was coming home, but what I didn’t realize was that Ivy and Girl Twin would go looking for it. And they found it!

It was walking along the fence headed back to the chicken/guinea coop. (Guineas seldom fly.) Ivy told Girl Twin “Grab it!” Ol’ Lavender was not quite ready to calm down. He panicked and took to the air. Right for the neighbors trees.

I told the kids, “It is too dark to look for the guinea, it came back once it will come back again.”

The next morning the guinea was NOT back. Ivy was a little concerned. I assured her it would come home. I was wrong. (God, I hate saying that. I’m actually tearing up.)

During the next two days, the kids talked about and looked for the guinea less and less. With all the coyotes, mountain lions, hawks and eagles in the neighborhood, the guinea’s chances for survival were slim.

All hope was lost, The Sipes family had moved on. Ivy went back to tending to the rest of the flock. “Oh my God! Monner, he’s back! He’s back!” After two nights and three days Ol’ Lavender was back, hiding in the coop.

I guess I didn’t miscalculate after all.

Our crazy lives!

Monner