My youngest granddaughter, Jenna who turns 8 in December, had a story to share the other day. I was visiting her Girl Scout Troop’s Halloween party in the building that used to be a school in Keeseville. The rooms still look like classrooms; the room we were in had a map of the United States on the wall. Jenna took me over to the map where it was a bit quieter so she could tell me about her chicken. Yes, her chicken...

Jenna and her mom went to Family Dollar in Keeseville to pick up some party supplies for Halloween. While they were in the store, looking at witch and goblin accessories, they noticed there was a chicken in the Family Dollar store. Yes, a live chicken walking around! Jenna’s mom, Cris, didn’t think much about it but Jenna likes chickens and has a flock of them at home she considers her pets. Jenna went over to check the chicken out. She came back to Cris and said, “Mom, that is our chicken!” Cris, said, “Jenna there is no way that is our chicken, now let’s get this shopping done, we have to get home.” Jenna, being a bit persistent in nature, decided to go get another look at this chicken. She comes back to Cris and says, “Mom, that IS our chicken, Butterscotch, I picked him up!” Cris was firm in telling Jenna that there was no way Butterscotch would be at Family Dollar - several miles from their home and kept shopping.

At this point, Jenna informed me that a man from Michigan came in to Family Dollar and took the chicken with him back to Michigan. She also told me that when she and her mother arrived home, Butterscotch was nowhere to be found. Cris realized she should have listened to Jenna. Jenna explained to me that, “Butterscotch had roosted up under her mom’s car and got the ride to Family Dollar. When she tried to get out from under the car, her wing got caught and was ripped off,” said Jenna. “The man who took Butterscotch back to Michigan is going to fix her wing and take good care of her, then we will get her back.” She even showed me on the map where we were in Keeseville and his route to Michigan (kind of).

The next morning Cris called me and I asked her about this chicken story. She confirmed almost everything that Jenna said except for the wing getting ripped off and Michigan. Butterscotch lost a couple of feathers and the man who took her home lives in Willsboro so they were going to get Butterscotch back this weekend. Cris says she will listen to Jenna the next time they find a live chicken in the store.