When I started writing about hens, I had four. My experience was the Animal Farm Utopia! We all had our assignments, the hens, the people (I advocate on behalf of their well-being as ‘owner’). George Orwell would be pleased. However, my experience went from a happy, well-ordered and fruitful farm and turned into a Greek tragedy in a matter of weeks.

I had a human predilection of thinking, ‘if I just do things “right’ all the time, things will naturally go My way. I attribute to myself god-like powers by a clever thing called ‘self-delusion.’

Anyhow, I decided to take my life lessons, the humiliation, the loss, the sadness and disappointment and start being an adult. What constitutes an “adult” isn’t clear nowadays, but it’s something like: doing what you love and working through the obstacles standing in your way.

Marcus Aurelius says, “The obstacle is the way!” The route through which you become the champion, or hero, or best version of ‘you’ you can be. Likewise, Jordan Peterson says: You can’t know what you are capable of until you face the hardship, struggle or thing that you fear, avoid, hide from. You need that Jacob’s ladder experience of Jewish history, he says.

Animal farms are no place for wimps or the self-deluded. I quickly learned!

Buffy and Lady each have unique characteristics that contribute to our well-being at the farm. Another lesson I learned: You can’t be a good ‘hen’ owner without careful observation of your hens. Buffy is light and fluffy like a Marshmallow. She’s so light on her feet she looks like she’s floating!

Reminds me how ornery Sandra Bullock (FBI agent) tries to “glide” while posing as a beauty queen contestant in the movie, Miss Congeniality. Buffy is so light on her feet, she’d make a terrific ninja! You barely even know she’s around.

Walking gently is a good skill. Especially in stressful times, it may serve you and others well.

“Lady” I mentioned was beautiful and regal looking like Lady Anne Cresacre, Thomas Moore’s wife. A Hans Holbein painting is an odd reference perhaps but the concept of lady is non-existent in my experience growing up.

My mother said when she was young all the women wore gloves to cover their hands when they went out. But I am pretty sure that idea of what constitutes ‘a lady’ was a machination of the company that sold gloves.

Lady is so lovely and she never draws attention to herself. It’s like her job is to be beautiful and look after the other hens. She wasn’t a fiery John Adams personality, like Copper. She isn’t independent-minded like Rocky. Not a prize-fighting hen in the dust bowls, either. She may have other characteristics, but as she is so demure I have yet to discover them!

I think that it’s beauty like this which makes men behave foolishly. Like loveliness is a transcendent quality, men must pursue and possess. It’s built-in, instinctual. Or maybe not?

Do men think logically like Spock and say: I perceive this woman has good facial structure and therefore I choose by an act of my will to try to ‘be’ with her. I doubt it!

I bet Leonardo da Vinci was frolicking in all his self-glory to ‘be’ with Mona Lisa. Pretty sure that is why she is laughing at him. He was a genius, but probably also a serious Rooster- by hen standards. Ladies know a Rooster when they see one.

Lady gently aligns herself along side Buffy and keeps and eye out for her. She’s loyal. She’s great company! If I had such a friend I never have done half the foolish things I did growing up. Lady makes me want to be good. Because I don’t want to ruin the beauty.