A friend of mine was visiting, and he asked me who “B” was. I said he was a remarkable teenager who came to the farm because he was interested in farms and animals.

“He’s very smart, and he loves to work hard, and the animals are all crazy about him,” I said. “When he shows up, every animal in the place is at his feet, waiting for him to feed them, clean up after them, scratch and brush them.”

Maria and I have learned to trust the animals; they know who to love and who to avoid.

“B” fits in like a glove; we look forward to seeing him on Tuesdays.

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He’s a gift in many ways, I said. Maria has been lifting logs of wood all summer, and she was happy to have some help with the new batch of fallen birch logs. The two of them stacked the new logs in minutes.

And we both are fond of him. He is a quick study and a pleasure to know. He picks things up quickly and doesn’t complain. He’s also got a great smile; every time I see him, I want to buy him another book. I know what he likes now…” He is a serious reader.

“B” is a sharp and brave kid; it feels like he’s part of the Bedlam Farm family now. We hope he comes here for a long time. It is a joy to see him working, and I love his smile, which I didn’t see for the first few weeks.

He and Maria work beautifully together; she’s done a great job teaching him about our animals and learning about the grunt details of the farm. He is appreciated and valued.

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I call it the “B” smile.