The Characters of our Story
Éowyn
Éowyn is a 20 lb Maine Coon who is about a yard long not including her tail. She is a large super friendly cat who has many dog-like characteristics. She enjoys hanging out with me and the chickens in the back yard.
Phyllis
Phyllis is a 3 lb Black and White Polish hen who is broody at the time of this story.
Chip & Dale
Are the names I have given to the two chipmunks that play a crucial role in this story. This is not their actual photo as there was not time for photos as the story unfolded before me.
These are not the actual chipmunks who are participants in this story. Rather this is Disney's view of what chipmunks look like. This photo is only provided for reference purposes as no photos were taken of the real life chipmunks who participated in the events described below.
Reference Map
For those unfamiliar with my back yard.
Act 1: The Rescue
It all started when I walked to the coffee pot and looked out the window at the pool as I frequently do. It gives me peace of mind to know that no chickens are floating in it. As I looked, I noticed something larger in the water. Not large enough to be a chicken. I thought maybe it was a large leaf. I called to Mrs. BY Bob and told her something was in the pool and I was going to go check it out.
As I exited the house to go check out the pool, Éowyn slipped out with me. I thought nothing of it at the time as she usually comes out with me now.
As I went down the steps and approached the pool, I saw a second large object in the water and this one was not just floating, it was on the move. There was a chipmunk swimming frantically around the deep end. We will call this chipmunk Dale. I knew I had a minute to deal with Dale since he was swimming quite well, so my eyes went looking for the first large object and found it right in front of the skimmer. This too was a chipmunk which we will call Chip.
Chip was in bad shape. He was no longer swimming but rather was just hanging down into the pool floating and barely keeping his head above water. I knew he was priority number one. I went to grab the skimmer but I realized that the brush attachment was on the pole. I did not think I had time to get the skimmer and switch the attachment to the skimmer, so I just reached into the water to scoop Chip up and get him out of the water.
I got Chip to the cement and that’s when I remembered that Eowyn was out with me. Despite his exhaustion, when Chip saw Éowyn coming around me, he scooted over to the Tiger Lilies and hunkered down inside them for cover. Éowyn pursued him but when he ducked into the Lilies, Éowyn decided to settle down and wait for him to emerge again.
I thought good. Stay hunkered down Chip and let me deal with Dale who at this time was doing figure eights in the middle of the deep end. I had to change out the attachment on the pole and get the skimmer, otherwise I simply could not reach Dale.
Well with the attachment switched out, I reached into the middle of the pool and scooped up Dale. Sometimes in their panic the rescued critter will run right off the end of the skimmer but once he was out of the water Dale just clung to the skimmer. With Éowyn occupied waiting for Chip to emerge I took Dale over by the brush pile in the sun and sat him down to dry off with cover nearby.
Of course, this drew Éowyn's attention and over she trotted. She came over and proceeded to rub up against my legs ignoring Dale who lay at my feet in the sun. Dale saw her, stopped breathing and lay perfectly still. I reached around Éowyn trying to corral her and to be ready to grab her if necessary. Éowyn just kept rubbing up against me. Once she turned her back to him Dale bolted off into the brush pile, safe at last.
With nothing to keep me there, I went over to my chair under the magnolia tree and sat down intending to rest for a while. This whole process being somewhat stressful. I assumed that Chip had moved on while Éowyn and I were distracted. Éowyn came over and lay down next the chair looking out at the Tiger Lilies.
Act 2: Enter Phyllis
After a few minutes of quiet our peace was broken and a clucking maniac emerged from the coop for her broody break. Phyllis was off the nest. As she emerged, she spotted me in my chair and knew that meant she could get some corn out of me, so she clucked her way over to me. She was moving quickly and was nearly at my chair when she spotted Éowyn lying at my feet.
This was too much for Phyllis. How dare this, this, this .…..CAT……come between her and her corn snack. The other chickens steer clear of Éowyn, not Phyllis.
Phyllis puffed herself to her largest size possible and started facing off with Éowyn clucking her loudest and most indignant clucks. She was even bluff charging at the cat.
Éowyn looked back at me.
I suggested she move before Phyllis pecked her.
So Éowyn moved.
I did not know it at the time but it was a very calculated move. She went over underneath the grape vines and lay down next to the fence. Éowyn has beautiful camouflage when she is laying the dirt underneath the trees and grapevines. This was no accident on her part.
Phyllis was happy. She hopped up on the footstool and I fed her corn from my hand until her craw was bursting. She hopped down and clucked her way over to the big run to take a well-earned dust bath.
Everything seemed calm and settled and I was really starting to relax sure in the fact that I had saved 2 chipmunks from death in the pool. That was when Chip decided to reemerge.
Act 3: Escape?
That’s right Chip was still in the Tiger Lilies.
His primary thought must have been to flee the yard. The closest exit would be a straight line to and under the fence. So off he sprinted running for all he was worth. The only problem with this strategy………….
Éowyn was right in his direct line of escape.
That’s right, her positioning was clearly no accident. Chip was running straight towards his doom.
Luckily for Chip, Éowyn could not hold still and when she felt he was close enough she pounced! Chip saw her and dodged left right under the gate to the run extension. Back and forth under the door Chip dodged as Éowyn lashed out trying to hit him with her giant paws.
Eventually Chip dodged back in the run extension and bolted out through the big run. Éowyn jumped the door and proceeded to chase after Chip. Straight into the Big Run where………..
Phyllis was taking a bath…………..
The run exploded with feathers and fur.
This was the final indignity to Phyllis and she was having none of it. All 5 pounds of her exploded into a fury the 20-pound cat that Éowyn is had never seen before. Phyllis was flying through the air, feet out, jumping at the cat’s back.
For her part Éowyn just seemed confused. She was just trying to chase the chipmunk and this chicken was attacking her. She did not fight back, instead she fled. Out of the run she went stopping just outside the door and getting very flat to the ground, staring at the stump a few feet away.
What Éowyn did not realize was that Phyllis was not done.
Out of the run Phyllis stormed. Squawking and flapping she came. She jumped up on Éowyn's bum making a ruckus. Éowyn's head darted around to see Phyllis perched on her derriere. I’m certain Éowyn was thinking, “Shut up you silly bird. I’m trying to stalk a chipmunk here and I don’t want it to know where I am!”
At this point I am so absorbed in the Phyllis confrontation that I had forgotten all about Chip. Chip does have his own sense of good timing. With Phyllis perched on Éowyn's back and her completely distracted, Chip bursts from the stump taking Éowyn completely unprepared. However, all of Chip’s judgements are not great. Instead of breaking for the fence, which is mere feet away, for some unknown reason he breaks for the corner of the garden in the opposite direction.
Éowyn, while distracted by Phyllis, did still notice Chip break cover and run. She takes off after him summarily dumping Phyllis on her bum. In two leaps Éowyn has caught up to Chip and she swats him at the corner of the garden.
Chip rolls and comes up running.
Éowyn leaps and just as Éowyn is landing, Chip scoots under the shed door to safety.
Of course, Éowyn is not done. She moves to a nearby bush and settles in again, watching the shed door for Chip to reemerge.
Well, Phyllis has not yet had her final say. For the next 10 minutes she stomped around the yard near Éowyn bawking and carrying on like………..
well…………
like…………
like she was as mad as a wet hen!
After 10 minutes Phyllis calmed down and went back to her nest. She never finished her dust bath but she certainly let the cat know her feelings for sure.
With everything sort of calmed down I went back into the house and a little while later Éowyn showed up at the back door and requested reentry to the house. I assume that Chip, like Dale, escaped to live another day. Quite a story he has too.
Let me tell you all about the day a tiny chicken saved me from a monster cat. The day started when I was minding my own business swimming my usual laps in the pool. Some human felt the need to lift me out of the pool when I was enjoying my rest float. Let me tell you. I can get out of that pool anytime I want. I was just relaxing and he plucks me out of the pool to throw me to his monster cat…………..
Éowyn
Éowyn is a 20 lb Maine Coon who is about a yard long not including her tail. She is a large super friendly cat who has many dog-like characteristics. She enjoys hanging out with me and the chickens in the back yard.
Phyllis
Phyllis is a 3 lb Black and White Polish hen who is broody at the time of this story.
Chip & Dale
Are the names I have given to the two chipmunks that play a crucial role in this story. This is not their actual photo as there was not time for photos as the story unfolded before me.
These are not the actual chipmunks who are participants in this story. Rather this is Disney's view of what chipmunks look like. This photo is only provided for reference purposes as no photos were taken of the real life chipmunks who participated in the events described below.
Reference Map
For those unfamiliar with my back yard.
Act 1: The Rescue
It all started when I walked to the coffee pot and looked out the window at the pool as I frequently do. It gives me peace of mind to know that no chickens are floating in it. As I looked, I noticed something larger in the water. Not large enough to be a chicken. I thought maybe it was a large leaf. I called to Mrs. BY Bob and told her something was in the pool and I was going to go check it out.
As I exited the house to go check out the pool, Éowyn slipped out with me. I thought nothing of it at the time as she usually comes out with me now.
As I went down the steps and approached the pool, I saw a second large object in the water and this one was not just floating, it was on the move. There was a chipmunk swimming frantically around the deep end. We will call this chipmunk Dale. I knew I had a minute to deal with Dale since he was swimming quite well, so my eyes went looking for the first large object and found it right in front of the skimmer. This too was a chipmunk which we will call Chip.
Chip was in bad shape. He was no longer swimming but rather was just hanging down into the pool floating and barely keeping his head above water. I knew he was priority number one. I went to grab the skimmer but I realized that the brush attachment was on the pole. I did not think I had time to get the skimmer and switch the attachment to the skimmer, so I just reached into the water to scoop Chip up and get him out of the water.
I got Chip to the cement and that’s when I remembered that Eowyn was out with me. Despite his exhaustion, when Chip saw Éowyn coming around me, he scooted over to the Tiger Lilies and hunkered down inside them for cover. Éowyn pursued him but when he ducked into the Lilies, Éowyn decided to settle down and wait for him to emerge again.
I thought good. Stay hunkered down Chip and let me deal with Dale who at this time was doing figure eights in the middle of the deep end. I had to change out the attachment on the pole and get the skimmer, otherwise I simply could not reach Dale.
Well with the attachment switched out, I reached into the middle of the pool and scooped up Dale. Sometimes in their panic the rescued critter will run right off the end of the skimmer but once he was out of the water Dale just clung to the skimmer. With Éowyn occupied waiting for Chip to emerge I took Dale over by the brush pile in the sun and sat him down to dry off with cover nearby.
Of course, this drew Éowyn's attention and over she trotted. She came over and proceeded to rub up against my legs ignoring Dale who lay at my feet in the sun. Dale saw her, stopped breathing and lay perfectly still. I reached around Éowyn trying to corral her and to be ready to grab her if necessary. Éowyn just kept rubbing up against me. Once she turned her back to him Dale bolted off into the brush pile, safe at last.
With nothing to keep me there, I went over to my chair under the magnolia tree and sat down intending to rest for a while. This whole process being somewhat stressful. I assumed that Chip had moved on while Éowyn and I were distracted. Éowyn came over and lay down next the chair looking out at the Tiger Lilies.
Act 2: Enter Phyllis
After a few minutes of quiet our peace was broken and a clucking maniac emerged from the coop for her broody break. Phyllis was off the nest. As she emerged, she spotted me in my chair and knew that meant she could get some corn out of me, so she clucked her way over to me. She was moving quickly and was nearly at my chair when she spotted Éowyn lying at my feet.
This was too much for Phyllis. How dare this, this, this .…..CAT……come between her and her corn snack. The other chickens steer clear of Éowyn, not Phyllis.
Phyllis puffed herself to her largest size possible and started facing off with Éowyn clucking her loudest and most indignant clucks. She was even bluff charging at the cat.
Éowyn looked back at me.
I suggested she move before Phyllis pecked her.
So Éowyn moved.
I did not know it at the time but it was a very calculated move. She went over underneath the grape vines and lay down next to the fence. Éowyn has beautiful camouflage when she is laying the dirt underneath the trees and grapevines. This was no accident on her part.
Phyllis was happy. She hopped up on the footstool and I fed her corn from my hand until her craw was bursting. She hopped down and clucked her way over to the big run to take a well-earned dust bath.
Everything seemed calm and settled and I was really starting to relax sure in the fact that I had saved 2 chipmunks from death in the pool. That was when Chip decided to reemerge.
Act 3: Escape?
That’s right Chip was still in the Tiger Lilies.
His primary thought must have been to flee the yard. The closest exit would be a straight line to and under the fence. So off he sprinted running for all he was worth. The only problem with this strategy………….
Éowyn was right in his direct line of escape.
That’s right, her positioning was clearly no accident. Chip was running straight towards his doom.
Luckily for Chip, Éowyn could not hold still and when she felt he was close enough she pounced! Chip saw her and dodged left right under the gate to the run extension. Back and forth under the door Chip dodged as Éowyn lashed out trying to hit him with her giant paws.
Eventually Chip dodged back in the run extension and bolted out through the big run. Éowyn jumped the door and proceeded to chase after Chip. Straight into the Big Run where………..
Phyllis was taking a bath…………..
The run exploded with feathers and fur.
This was the final indignity to Phyllis and she was having none of it. All 5 pounds of her exploded into a fury the 20-pound cat that Éowyn is had never seen before. Phyllis was flying through the air, feet out, jumping at the cat’s back.
For her part Éowyn just seemed confused. She was just trying to chase the chipmunk and this chicken was attacking her. She did not fight back, instead she fled. Out of the run she went stopping just outside the door and getting very flat to the ground, staring at the stump a few feet away.
What Éowyn did not realize was that Phyllis was not done.
Out of the run Phyllis stormed. Squawking and flapping she came. She jumped up on Éowyn's bum making a ruckus. Éowyn's head darted around to see Phyllis perched on her derriere. I’m certain Éowyn was thinking, “Shut up you silly bird. I’m trying to stalk a chipmunk here and I don’t want it to know where I am!”
At this point I am so absorbed in the Phyllis confrontation that I had forgotten all about Chip. Chip does have his own sense of good timing. With Phyllis perched on Éowyn's back and her completely distracted, Chip bursts from the stump taking Éowyn completely unprepared. However, all of Chip’s judgements are not great. Instead of breaking for the fence, which is mere feet away, for some unknown reason he breaks for the corner of the garden in the opposite direction.
Éowyn, while distracted by Phyllis, did still notice Chip break cover and run. She takes off after him summarily dumping Phyllis on her bum. In two leaps Éowyn has caught up to Chip and she swats him at the corner of the garden.
Chip rolls and comes up running.
Éowyn leaps and just as Éowyn is landing, Chip scoots under the shed door to safety.
Of course, Éowyn is not done. She moves to a nearby bush and settles in again, watching the shed door for Chip to reemerge.
Well, Phyllis has not yet had her final say. For the next 10 minutes she stomped around the yard near Éowyn bawking and carrying on like………..
well…………
like…………
like she was as mad as a wet hen!
After 10 minutes Phyllis calmed down and went back to her nest. She never finished her dust bath but she certainly let the cat know her feelings for sure.
With everything sort of calmed down I went back into the house and a little while later Éowyn showed up at the back door and requested reentry to the house. I assume that Chip, like Dale, escaped to live another day. Quite a story he has too.
Let me tell you all about the day a tiny chicken saved me from a monster cat. The day started when I was minding my own business swimming my usual laps in the pool. Some human felt the need to lift me out of the pool when I was enjoying my rest float. Let me tell you. I can get out of that pool anytime I want. I was just relaxing and he plucks me out of the pool to throw me to his monster cat…………..
I could really visualize Éowyn and Phyllis getting into it 
