Hello, shocked PETA people and starving carnivores everywhere, and welcome to an amazing-yet-tragic tale of life, death, and all points in between. Yes, today the beans are spending the afternoon in the little town of Fruita, Colorado with the one and only Mike, the Headless Chicken. You may want to grab your hankie (and some BBQ sauce) now, because this story made the beans both a little sad and a little hungry...

Mike's story began in September 1945, when local farmer Lloyd Olsen went out to his chicken coop and picked out a plump rooster, whose name up until that point was "Dinner". Lloyd played chicken executioner and chopped the birdy's little noggin clean off, but instead of going to that big hen house in the sky, the chicken lived. Feeling sorry for the headless creature, Lloyd decided to feed it with an eye dropper. And amazingly enough, the chicken without a head grew and thrived. Kinda creepy, huh?

So being the wise man that he was, Farmer Lloyd did the only thing anyone in his position could do -- no, he didn't put Mike out of his misery. He TOOK HIM ON TOUR! Yes, Mikey became an international celebrity, known as "The Headless Wonder Chicken". People lined up for blocks for a chance to plunk down their money to see the headless rooster. He was even featured in both Time and Life magazines. Yes, Mike was a true superstar -- why, if J. Lo was around back then, you just know there would have been a marriage proposal or two...

And then one night 18 months later, Mike the Headless Wonder sadly kicked the bucket, when he choked to death on some grain that went down the wrong pipe. Poor Mikey's fame was fleeting, but as the bean's so wisely noted, it lasted a whole lot longer than the alternative...

But never fear, my teary eyed friends. The legend of Mike the Headless Chicken lives on today, in the form of the annual Mike The Headless Chicken Days festival here in Fruita. Every May, the local dept. of tourism holds a two-day celebration in honor of Mikey and all things headless, complete with a dance, a 5K "Run like a..." race, a pet parade, and even a micro-brew festival. (You just knew alcohol was involved in this somewhere, right?) There's even a statue dedicated to Headless Mike in town, as the beans were thrilled to check out for themselves.

In the end, the beans had a swell time partying it up with Mikey & friends, and were only slightly embarrassed when they asked if there were any drumsticks left.

By the way - one thing the beans haven't been able to figure out is why this chicken statue is wearing spurs. Hmmm - maybe it's "Mike's Revenge?"

Anyway, you can find the complete story about Mike on his official Web site, along with some fascinating photos of the famous chicken with his skull laying at his feet. (Usually it's potatoes, biscuits, or yes - even beans that we prefer as a side dish, but in this case we'll digress...) And if that doesn't turn your crank, you can always check out this alternate site. But be warned - not everyone sees Mike's kin in the same light.

Regardless, the beans had a swell time in Fruita, and hope that all of you can make it to next year's Mike The Headless Chicken Days. You just know the beans will be there, along with their old pal the Headless Horseman. It'll be easy to spot the beans - they'll be the ones with their lid intact, sitting next to the guy with a Jack O' Lantern for a head.