We have royalty in the farmhouse, it was bitterly cold outside tonight, and our faithful wood stoves were struggling to keep up, the Queen of Bedlam Farm swathed herself in fabrics and quilts, and the Duke of Arkansas, a master at finding warm spots, wormed himself onto the throne alongside of her.

I sat and shivered in my chair across the room, I listened to him snore loudly – I thought it was an airplane flying low – I appreciated  how regal these two looked.

Maria even looked a bit like Queen Victoria with her slouch  hat, which resembled a royal throne. The Duke knows how to squirrel himself into warm and tight corners.