This is how I've been finding her a lot lately. She's a chatterbox, this one, I'm sure I've told you that. The silence when she is not around is nearly as loud as when she is in the room. Does that make sense? It feels true. We notice quickly when she's scampered off. "Where's Ani?" is followed first by a stop in Gram's room, where she can often be found relaying a story she made up or a dream she's had (they like to talk about dreams, those two). But if she's not there, more often than not we are finding her on her way to the pasture. Getting eggs is her daily chore, and she never forgets to do it. But she'll often wander and linger far beyond that simple task, and I see her, often hands on her hips, marching to the back of the pasture with a sheep or goat or many following behind her. Singing at the top of her lungs. Or climbing a pile of rocks or logs with a "you can't catch me you little silly chicken-chicken!". And giggles. Lots of giggles. Ah...
It is one of the greatest sights in my days - one of them - if not all of them (the youngers, anyway) -marching around the sheep pasture and giggling, or coming in, all out of breathe, from "hanging out" (their words) with the ducks. Each time, I am reminded to do the same (there's no sadness or stress that a snuggle with a sheep can't help ease). And I am once again - despite cursing when I drag the goats back to the right side of the fence again, or overwhelmed when I wonder how we'll fit in a day of shearing this week, or irritated with the turkeys sneak into my garden and eat all my kale - full of gratitude for these 'friends in the pasture' that bring us all such joy.
