I got home from the office this afternoon and this is what I found inside my house.

Note the heating pad cord. At least Fino used it under a plastic bag and towel so it might be salvaged after the chicken is done with it.

Apparently the neighbor's dog ran into our yard (she really needs obedience training and spends almost as much time running wild in our yard as her own) so of course the chickens scattered. But it's mighty chilly outside and our smaller chickens have a lot less tolerance for the cold so usually stay inside the coop on days like this. But the dog scared them and one bantam ran quite a distance away from the coop. About an hour later Fino found the rooster and initially thought he was frozen to death. Turned out he was just really cold but still breathing. So he brought the little guy into the house and put him in a warm bath in the bathroom sink in hopes of warming him up quickly.

Afterward, Fino tucked him into a big box with a towel and heating pad in the hallway to keep an eye on him (and it was at that point that I walked in the house).

As we sat down to eat an early dinner, L. laughed and pointed to the hallway.

"Pop goes the weasel!" (She is the family comedian after all.)

It didn't take too long for the rooster to warm up start acting like his own feisty self again.

Then the rooster jumped out of the box and ran into the bathroom.

He sort of missed the toilet doing his business though.

Fino caught the rooster and put him back in the warm box. But then as G. was taking a quick video clip a few minutes later to put on her YouTube channel (have I mentioned how much she enjoys that website?), the chicken made another escape attempt.

The rooster is now in the box with some air holes and a closed lid. He'll hang out until tomorrow when he's completely dry and warmed up enough to join his feathered friends in the coop.

Today was yet another example of why it's a good thing I have a sense of humor. When you're the parent of a couple of animal-loving children who really do work hard taking care of their special pets, laughing at the craziness inherent with the task becomes a requirement. I really never ever planned on sharing my house with poultry...