Another coop tour

The 2013 edition of the Bend (Chicken) Coop Tour was yesterday.   This time I decided to take it easy and visit only the coops closest to my house, in the central part of Bend.   I enlisted friend Jane, and, fueled by good coffee and an Ocean Roll from the local coffee roaster, we headed out on a hot (for early May) day -- 80 degrees and sunny -- with coop tour booklet in hand.

I had plotted a route, highlighting our selected coops on the map and was confident Jane could guide us hither and yon.   When she initially claimed she had no sense of direction, didn't know the town at all, and would probably get us lost within seconds, I just laughed.  But she was right.  Not only that, but she had somehow forgotten her reading glasses, so she couldn't read the booklet all that well, either.   Luckily, she was, as always, fabulous company and adored all the girls, gardens and coops as much as I did.

But I had cleverly chosen coops (mostly) in town, and ended up getting to show off my Bend Old Fart knowledge, as we visited the various 'hoods.  I only made one bad turn, and that was after we had enlisted the help of Grace, my GPS.  I failed to consult Grace on the way home from a distant coop, and had to apologize for doubting her original circuitous route on the way out.   She was right.   There was a dead end.   Jane tactfully bit her tongue and just made encouraging comments.

Of the 9 coops we toured, our hands-down favorite was ........ a garden.

Tucked away on the west side of town was this jewel of a back yard.  Converted from an initially sage- and bitterbrush-covered slope by the energetic homeowners, into a compact, terraced garden full of vegetables and fruit bushes.  The coop was nice too, but the garden was wonderful!

There were many other fine coops and gardens (I consider the coop tour a stealth garden tour).   One lovely home sported a tasteful welcome sign.

A surprising number of gardens contained beehives!

something I have fantasized about having in my garden for years and years and years.

Probably the most impressive coop had several sections.   Here is the outdoor lounging area for the ladies.   Check out the umbrella and flowering window box.

All in all, a most satisfactory tour.   After dropping off Jane I headed home, re-inspired to spruce up my sadly-neglected spring garden and give my ladies some treats.