Friendship, a Favor and Two Dozen Eggs
My friend was in a pinch.
Through years of hard work, holidays spent caring for home-alone pets and the occasional overnight, Laura has built a thriving pet-sit business. I’d always heard people will easily part with their money for two things — children and pets. Laura’s booming business supports that premise.
Sometimes, Paws to Fins pet-sitting service has too many pets to care for and not enough employees to scratch, walk and feed Fido and Mitsy. A good problem for my friend to have, right?
One day last week, she asked if I could help out. One of her employees was ill. I was free and said sure — to lend a hand would be an adventure, not a chore.
After a midday doggy visit, I sent Laura a text: Hershey and Digger were good boys! I had no trouble getting in/out of the house. Nice walkers — glad I got to meet them! Please know that I did this simply as a favor from one friend to another. You don’t owe me anything, OK?
The reply came: Can I at least give you some eggs?
In addition to a dog, four cats, five guinea pigs and two horses, Laura has chickens. Can you see why a pet sitting business was a good fit for her?
In her backyard, with the help of her husband, she transformed an outgrown children’s playset into a chicken palace. The pair worked magic, creating a multi-leveled roam and roost home — fully secured against all types of chicken predators — out of something many would have torn down.
Aren’t the eggs beautiful? Irregular shapes, sizes and colors. The chickens are beautiful, too. Laura knows them individually by sight and has given them names. And although raising chickens is not for me, I’m thankful to live vicariously through my animal whispering friend.
Yesterday I made a huge egg scramble for breakfast. Laura had cautioned — Wash the eggs before you use them. The brown and pale blue/green shells still have bits of straw stuck to their surfaces. Apparently, the eggs will stay fresh longer if you wait to clean them until you crack them open.
There you have it — a simple story of friendship, a favor and eggs — my own Little House on the Prairie neighborly tale.
