I think everybody had a reaction of disbelief when they first saw Mason.

He first caught my attention off in the distance, when I saw something – I couldn’t tell what – jump straight up into the air with all those feathers flying. I guess it was love at first sight ;-).

He does seem to be the star of this gallery, although only a few more pictures of him to go as we did visit with some other animals.

*****

Mason, a buff laced Polish chicken, was found on the Appalachian Trail near the Mason-Dixon Line by a hiker named Heather Bolint, who carried and camped with Mason through three states and over 42 miles, then brought him to safety at Poplar Spring. He was found in an area with no farms or houses nearby, and it's a mystery how he got there.

The rooster whisperer, posted earlier: