Barn light is a rare light, it comes through cracks and open doors, moves quickly, is filtered by dust and hay and memories, but I found myself alone in the barn today, getting meal for the hens and cookies for the donkeys, and I saw the gray hen had come in with me to see what was up, hopeful, as ever, for something spilled from a can or thrown her way.

Every time I venture out of the farmhouse, one animal or another is following me around – chickens, barn cats, dogs, donkeys braying. They all have figured out how to play me.

Chickens have great faith, as most animals do, that food is just around the corner, and the strange humans, approached properly, will always give them some. I used to think chickens were dumb, but I don’t think so anymore.

Like Labs, they are smart about what they need to be smart about.