You have to be careful when you tell Red to “stay.” He will stay, even if a mountain lion is coming at him. This afternoon I told him to stay in front of the barn while I fed the animals and I didn’t see that one of the chickens came over to him and was pecking away at his coat, looking for buds or grass embedded in his fur. I was astonished. I have never had a dog that would allow a chicken to peck at him in that way, and the chicken ought to be grateful that it wasn’t Frieda, or she would be our dinner. Lenore would have run, and Rose would have chased the hen away.

When Red is told to stay, he stays. I told him to stay out in the pasture and then went into the house to write, and after a couple of hours I looked around – he is always near me – and I couldn’t find him in the house. I went outside and he was exactly where I had left him in the “stay” position.

I grabbed the camera, of course, when I saw him warily submitting to the hen, and then I released him. He was glad to get away. Minnie was enjoying the show.