Lullaby of Birdland

Lullaby of Birdland 

This photo entitled Lullaby of Birdland was taken to enter in your ‘Show Us Your Chimes' contest because I was so amused to learn that my neighbor's chickens enjoy your chimes as much as I do! (Also my significant other is entering a photo and I wanted to get in on the fun). :) 

Our next-door neighbor loves piano music and is always commenting on how much she enjoys hearing the beautiful sound of our Woodstock chime coming from our garden. We came upon this unusual piano chime in a shop and bought it for her as a gift. It was perfect because it was a cute little sculpture of piano keys, and it plays the notes in Beethoven's famous piano tune, Für Elise. We knew she would love it and were waiting for a special occasion to give it to her. 

Earlier this summer she and her husband got six chickens to raise for fun and fresh eggs. "The Ladies" as they call them, live in an adorable little coup on the edge of our yard so we have enjoyed them and their frequent visits. Chickens are fun, but not always the smartest of birds. Often while wandering about they lose track of where they live and are busted off wandering somewhere in the neighborhood with absolutely no regard for their curfew. Life is just one big hen party for these girls. There have been many a night when we were off on a goose (er, a chicken) chaise with flashlights hunting for the ditsy dames. 

Finally, our neighbor's birthday came around and we gave her the Für Elise Piano Chime. She LOVED it and promptly hung the chime out on her deck overlooking the chicken coup. One day, as a prank, I got the brilliant idea to move the chime and hung it in the chicken coup. Amused by my sneaky move, I watched the birds to see their reaction. I was surprised to watch them stop clucking (which rarely happens with women, er, I mean chickens) when the wind blew and the chime played. It was almost as if they stopped to listen. As with most females, it didn't seem to hold their attention for long, but the ladies did seem to enjoy the chimes contribution to their hen house. My neighbor couldn't stop laughing when she saw where her chime had gone. She decided to leave it there where both she and her girls could enjoy it. The chickens got so used to having the sound in their coup that they now associated the song of the chime with home. Now when they wander off my neighbor just wiggles the chime until the ladies waddle home - it seems the sound is even more effective than breadcrumbs to lead the way. It never ceases to amaze me how enjoyable the sounds from Woodstock chimes are, and how they are loved by man and bird alike, hence the title Lullaby of Birdland. …It wouldn't surprise me to see the ladies form a line and do "The Chicken Dance" to the chimes well-know tune!

G.T., Newport, MN