Key West = Chicken Paradise?

When writing On the Line, I worked hard to include as many of my favorite places, animals and quirks of the Keys as possible. Yet, unfortunately, it was just impossible to include everything I love about the area.

One of those things missing from OTL? Chickens!

Yes, I said chickens.

As all my OTL fans out there know, Piper loves her hometown of Islamorada and doesn't spend much time on the other islands. This fits well with the Keys lifestyle and Piper's character. But it also means the book never gets to spend much time exploring Key West. Or its feathered inhabitants.

A city chicken tending to her broodBecause along with Hemingway and the Little White House and the bustling shops and restaurants lining Duval Street, Key West is known for its free roaming chickens. Seen by some as a nuisance and others as wonderful entertainment, these residents strut and scratch and prance around those streets like they are the stars. And I have to say as a chicken lover, they really do make Key West.

So imagine my surprise (and delight!) when we arrived in Key West a couple weeks back to not only find my favorite chickens flashing their feathers, but full-fledged broods, complete with chicks!

It was like chicken heaven.

A rooster, enjoying the good life.All I could do was smile and gawk at each passing flock, commenting each time that these chickens really had "the life."

That is, until during what was probably on my one hundredth proclamation of this, that we witnessed what is now referred to as "the great chicken incident."

Yes, apparently even chickens can find trouble in paradise.

We tried to capture what was surely an angry rooster storming an innocent hen on video, but alas, we missed most of the feather-on-feather action. But, if you watch closely, you can see the rooster charge and the chicks scatter.

And you can most certainly hear me scream.

Enjoy! :)