Of chickens and engagement rings

Yesterday was a crappy day.  First I lost my engagement ring - or rather, when I went to put it on before church, it wasn't in its usual box. 

Then Ben came over and spoke quietly to Tua; Tua came upstairs and told me that Mamaroneck, my favorite chicken, had died in the night.  Ben found her this morning when he went to put the ducks and chickens out.

She was a special chicken.  She was clever - always around anyone who was working outside, knowing that any work we were doing (weeding, stacking wood, etc.) was likely to uproot some luscious bugs.  She was the least afraid of humans - maybe even fond of us.  In any case, she let me and Tua stroke her and pick her up.  She was mild-mannered with the other animals, too.  I adored her.

We gave her an open burial up by the vernal pool, laying her on a bed of ferns and surrounding her body with fragrant lilies.  I thought I'd feel better if her death could give someone - a lucky fox or coyote, perhaps - a bit of joy.

Now I'm stuck with not being able to find my engagement ring.