Eventide
The evening and its activities are by far the best part of the day for me.
As I approach the duck pond and outside chicken yard, the roosters and hens emerge from under the trees while the ducks swim to the shore and waddle up and out of the water. They begin to line up while I check the outdoor nesting boxes for eggs. By the time that I reach the barn door, they are lined up ready to go inside.
Their evening parade is more subdued than their morning one. Every few steps one of the chickens stops and turns as if to go back outside but then thinks better of it and reverses course for the roost.
We have an old mirror in the barn, across from the duck and chicken enclosures. The ducks, especially our drake, Cesare, never fail to stop and admire the ducks in the mirror, quacking,
“Who’s that handsome duck?”
They know the routine—the ducks in their stall, the chickens on their roost. After one final check to make sure they have food and water to last them through the night, I turn off lights and secure the door.
On my way out several barn cats wait for me to fill their food bowls. Even though I feed them twice a day, they still run from me if I get too close.
As I walk back to the house, I hear all my friends clucking and quacking while settling down for the night. One last crow from D’Artagnan, then silence...
Another day’s promise of joy fulfilled.