Many of my readers have requested that I re-post the original blog that introduced Dora the Explorer. For some reason, this silly chicken has managed to survive each Boogey Beast attack and remains the oldest chicken on the farm. So for all Dora's fans, here it is:

I think my life just pegged the meter of ludicrous today. Each morning after I feed the barn animals, it is customary to take a nice long walk in the pasture with the dogs and my iced coffee. I enjoy nature while the critters read their pee-mail. Most of the time 3 or 4 half-grown kittens tag along. After Montoya finishes his breakfast, the horse joins us too. We must be quite the spectacle.

Today we had a new float attached to our little parade. With the help of the goats, one of my hens has discovered a hole in the bird pen that is just chicken-sized, so rather than waiting for me to deliver breakfast, she met me in the barn this morning. Now if you are on the bottom of the food chain, this is not a good idea, but Dora The Explorer had other plans. She was coming on the walk with us. That goofy hen clucked and cackled her way down the trail behind me while I snarled at dogs who are very much aware that Dora is on the bottom of the food chain. The kittens stalked and pounced at Dora who cackled and darted which made her even more tempting to dogs who hadn't had breakfast yet.

Any attempts to shoo Dora back to the barn would have ended in disaster since the dogs were just looking for a reason to kill her anyway, so I let her come along. From time to time she'd drop behind and then run as fast as her little drumsticks could carry her just to catch up with us. Clearly, Dora's days are numbered if I don't patch that hole quickly because she rather enjoyed her morning walk with predators. For chickens this must be the equivalent of swimming with Great White Sharks on the Barrier Reef.

Since I don't have time to do it today, I dearly hope the Boogey Beast is not prowling in my pasture at sunrise tomorrow, for there is no doubt in my mind that Dora will be waiting in the barn with her goggles and scuba tank.

Dora is still alive and well. This photo was taken this morning when I let the birds out to forage. The red goofy bird behind her is Reggie, who, like Dora, has still managed to survive despite his tendency to follow the humans like a puppy.