Maria and I were having some quiet time together, sitting in the wind and looking out over the valley. The past week has been stressful, so we were looking for some wind-down time together.

Maria decided to lie down on the grass and nap; I sat in the chair and closed my eyes. It was a sweet and beautiful moment. I was awakened by a clucking sound and turned to see the three hens gathering in a circle over Maria’s face.

It was, in many ways, a sweet and idyllic scene. But it frightened me. I’ve heard too many stories of hens pecking at faces, pulling earrings off of ear lobes, and hurting faces, even eyes. My instincts kicked in.

I made sure I had a photo and then took off my hat and tossed it in front of them. It startled them, and they moved back and away. Maria was upset.  She hates any kind of violence directed at animals.

She sat up and told me she was talking to them; why did I throw my hat at them?

She accepted my explanation, but I don’t think she liked it too much. I sometimes worry that she forgets that these sweet and passive creatures are animals, but she says this isn’t so. She is always careful and watches out for herself.

She says she was talking back and forth to them and was in no danger.

I don’t regret tossing the hat. Startling the hens was no big deal compared to having one’s face or eyes pecked, and it looked to me as if the hens were thinking about it; when they are looking for food, they ride with their beaks, and I didn’t want to change it. I can’t say I know what a chicken is thinking if a chicken thinks at all.

Maria is often bringing food and treats to the hens, and that can get them too excited or too demanding.

They seemed to me to be closing in. She thought they were just visiting.

Maria thanked me for protecting her, and we moved on. I doubt the hens would have harmed her, not intentionally, but I couldn’t handle the idea of having an eye pecked; she was pretty vulnerable. And chickens move quickly when they think something is edible.

As close as we are, we have different ways of looking at these things; I have a slice of the old farmer in me; I don’t entirely trust all these animals as much as she does. But then, I don’t have her incredible gift for connecting and communicating with them. I have it with the dogs and often with the donkeys, but not the sheep.

I always am mindful that these are animals who live by their instincts and will do almost anything for food.

There is always complex and exciting stuff to deal with when you live on a farm; there are lots of grades and shades and very little black and white. The farm is a wonderful teacher about life. And there are always things to learn.

But still, it was a great picture, and I did make sure I took it before flipping my hat at them. Three minutes later, they were back pecking around my feet.