And hen, she was gone...

This blog is in memory of Mrs Bennett, the most stoical chicken I ever met, who sadly died this morning.

Mrs Bennett arrived in our garden nearly six months ago along with her partner in crime, Mrs Miggins. A bright red comb with a minxy flick, Mrs Bennett immediately made herself at home by single footedly digging up a majority of the lawn because, in her words, 'it looks better a bit ruffled.' An intelligent bird, she managed to get the front off the compost bin within a week of arriving and was never fooled by her reflection in the glass of the greenhouse, unlike Mrs Miggins who, even this morning, was trying to communicate with the 'chicken who lives in the greenhouse who looks just like me.'

Mrs Bennett's favourite hobbies included free form bowling for sparrows, velociraptor racing and, in quieter moments, sitting on the garden seat, swinging back and forth and reading from one of her many books of Renaissance poetry. She could swallow a grape whole in under a second and every egg she laid for us was a double yolker and delicious.

Her unique gardening skills, gravelly vocal tones and intelligent personality will be missed by Andy and me but the last word comes from Mrs Miggins - 'Bok bokkity, buk buk buuuuuuuuuk Mrs Bennett, bokky, bik bok buk, my friend, bukky, bokky bokkity, bok, buk bik.'

Good night and God bless, Mrs Bennett, wherever you are...