Lothario's Ladies

Lothario's powers of persuasion (or perhaps his dogged persistence) paid off.  He not only convinced the three hens for whom he spent days showing off, yesterday I saw he had added a fourth to his harem.  Once he had them in his thrall, now he must zealously guard the girls against would-be suitors.  The hens go about their business, paying no attention as Lothario follows them about the property, always making sure they stay together and away from competition.  The group was in the side yard yesterday as Bessie Anne was going down the drive to check the perimeter and get a breath of fresh air.  (Girl dogs mark their territory just as boy dogs do, and it always amazes me just how much piddle a dog can hold.)  As Bess approached, Lothario puffed up to twice his size and I was worried he might consider her a threat.  There was a big fight in the driveway the other day among toms and they can really do some damage with beak and claws.  Bessie pointedly ignored the turkeys and went on her way and he herded his personal flock down into the front pasture.

Rain and wind returned last night.  Aarrgh!  I'm not looking forward to today, starting with the fact that I'll have to do barn chores before first light.  Since there's no electricity in the barn, that will be a challenge.  A trip to town would not be my first choice on a rainy day (okay, any day), but Truck must be in the shop by 9 a.m.  A result of my vehicle being considered "totalled" is that I, through no fault of my own, must get a rather expensive brake-and-light check, re-register with DMV, and get new license plates.  Evidently the inspection is a very involved and lengthy process and will take all day.  Arden will meet me in town and we'll go to lunch together, saving me from sitting in the shop for seven or eight hours.  The way things are going, I'd probably be charged a baby-sitting fee, too.