Well, I put away the camera and video camera and Ipad and retreat to my quiet little study and begin thinking about what I want to write, and then I hear this weird scratching and pecking sound somewhere around my feet. I just can’t imagine. I hear it again and again and then I go outside with Rose and she makes a beeline for the window outside of my study. There I find Alice and Meg busy pecking away at the screen as if it were made of worms.

Did they hear me in there? Were there bugs in the screen? I told Rose to “Get the sheep!” and she jumped up there and chased them away. Winston came towards her as if to make trouble and Rose gave him a withering “try me!” look, the one she uses on belligerent rams, and he looked the other way.

Chickens. Back to work.