Delicious quiet

The boys are out fishing with their Daddy, in the wind. The Bean is down for a nap, recharging her batteries. The house is quiet, momentarily.

Quiet. It's delicious.

My quiet is balanced on top of the sound of a cricket singing and the trees dancing in the wind and something else.

A screen door is softly tap tap tapping as the wind pulls it barely open and then lets go.

Why?

Because my "I am such big fancy stuff" Red rooster crowed.

He does not crow once. Nope. Once he gets fired up he crows at least a dozen times. At least.

Where?

He crowed right underneath The Bean's window, and she is sleeping, you recall.

I jumped off my chair, out the door and down the back steps, nearly landing on a hen.

Red saw me coming.

He took off for the lilac bushes and I was close behind. I chased him across our clover and bee filled yard... bare foot. I did not get stung. It must be my day!

Around and around we went. I told him to shut-up. I said it nicely. Maybe.

Dude gave me a dirty look like he always does when he admits that I am the bigger rooster. And I am. He knows it's true, just needs a reminder once in awhile.

And then we just stood there looking at each other. He is a beautiful bird. His tail feathers whipped around in the breeze. The sunlight bounced off his back. He turned and I watched him walk his ladies across to the other side of the yard.

I am sitting here listening to a cricket singing, the trees dancing in the wind, and the tap tap tapping of the screen door that I didn't quite get latched on my way back in. I do not hear any chickens.

Quiet. Mmmmmm...