Reprieve

Some days it is bliss to sit in the cool grass, in the dappled shade of a tree, and watch the goats graze - leisurely, languidly.

The air right now is warm and fragrant with honeysuckle. A family of crows, immersed in conversation, clicks and caws and coos plaintively from the tall oaks on the edge of the field. The turkeys have followed the goats down from the barn, and they pull at the clover, hunt for bugs and wriggly things. Visitors pause to chat and the toms puff up their plumage, fan their tail feathers and sputter, glad for the opportunity to demonstrate their magnificence to a new audience.

The goats move in silence today, save for the sound of their grazing (tearing at grass, snapping branches as they reach for sweeter leaves above). When their bellies are full, they will meander back to the barn and wait for fresh hay, cool water, and their turn in the milking shed.