Last night, I went out on the porch to pick up a package. Zip came out from beneath the porch. We sat together for a few minutes, and then I came inside. When I came downstairs this morning, Bud was sitting on the wicker chair looking into the farmhouse. He was waiting for our morning meeting and was curious about what went on inside. When I got outside, he was waiting at our usual spot on the back porch.

He seems irritable when I’m late. Too bad.

(Photo above by Maria Wulf)

Zip is not interested in coming inside but has investigated, inspected, and often dominated every part of the farm. He definitely wants to do the same with the farmhouse. It isn’t going to happen. We all, including Zip, are happy with how things have turned out. A big storm is coming tonight, and he has a lot of places to go and be comfortable.

I love him dearly, but he will only get into the farmhouse once he’s pretty old. It might be hard if I thought he would want to, but he would have less fun inside the house than outside. He is curious about what goes on there but has never come to the door and waited to get in.

We love the absence of rats and mice in the home or barn. It seems Zip got rid of all of them.

Zip has taken the title “imperious” away from the hens. I went outside with Maria for the afternoon feeding, and Zip sat atop the woodshed waiting. He got his scratch and then moved on to inspect a chipmunk hole.

Sun or rain, Zip’s throne is the table on the back porch. It’s his spot, from where he rules the kingdom.