Birds of a Feather? No Thank You!

I know that many people have phobia’s and one of the most popular ones that I come across is the fear of flying. I have so many clients who will not fly and will only cruise out of the UK. Thank goodness for cruise ships, allowing people to travel around the world without ever setting foot on a plane. Where would we be without them? I must confess that I used to be terrified of flying but I have done so many flights in recent years I can honestly say it doesn’t worry me nowadays, in fact it is something that I really look forward to.

I do have one lifelong phobia though, and whether it is something that I will ever be able to work through I don’t know. Rewind a few weeks to the lovely day I had at the Tenbury Wells Agricultural Show, at the end of my post I said I would tell you about my attempts to face one of my worst fears, well that day I did make a start but how far I will progress I am not sure. My fear is birds, or even just feathers in fact, they terrify me and send me into a complete panic to the point where I think I could actually pass out. Ornithophobia is my condition apparently. If I’m completely frank I can’t even face a feather duster. My dear Grandmother kept a big black on behind the door of her back bedroom and I never set foot in there.

Is it a chicken? No, it’s Bert!

My dear friend Peta, and her husband Bert, who has moved to Tenbury has gone all ‘country’ on us and among other things she has bought a few chickens, Orpington’s to give them their official title! They really are beautiful, and of course, being the most indulged chickens,  they have the most beautiful hen house complete with remote control door so that my friend can let them out from the comfort of her bed – dear God she will never truly embrace the country life!

Happy chicken huggers!

These Orpingtons  –  Brunhilda, Hattie, Joan, and Babs (there’s a sort of theme there with the names!) are the most beautiful chickens, named after Orpington in Kent, bred originally by William Cook in  1865, a gentle breed, quite large birds who because of their size do not tend to fly much, a fact which heartens me because it is the flapping that terrifies me, along of course with the whole feather thing. Now these dear birds are going to be present each time I visit my Peta so it really would be great if I could relax and accept them wandering around without me doing more flapping than them otherwise visits are going to be stressful for me.

When we got back after the show the Orpington’s were happily pecking away on the lawn, minding their own business and I did actually manage to get within about 20 feet of one of them before one turned to look at me and I took flight, quite literally. Shortly after, I manged to get even closer while Peta was holding one of the birds (no danger of flappage at this point as my friend has said chicken tucked under her arm), and I even managed to very gently touch her petticoat, sort of. The petticoat is a really soft and fluffy area at the rear of the bird, really pretty when the breeze catches it.

Here I am, trying to be brave!

Anyway, this was enough for me for a first attempt to be honest but I am due to visit again in a few weeks so I am hoping to make a bit more progress then. I shall keep you posted.

I don’t think she’s quite cracked the sheep farming yet!

Strange that of all the cruise ships I have been on that seagulls don’t seem to have ever been an issue, even when ships are docked in port. I have never been aware of them at all thank goodness otherwise I think I would have to stick to selling cruises and not actually gong on them myself.

A little story that the Royal Caribbean rep told us during a ship visit on Oasis of the Seas a couple of years ago in Southampton – in the Central Park area where there are trees and flowers there is piped birdsong but it appears that birds have actually started nesting in the trees and sail with the ship. How true this is I am not sure but that’s what she told us.

I have included a few pics of the Orpington’s, I hope you enjoyed them.

Anyway, that is it for another post – Happy Cruising for those of you who are setting sail soon!