the backyard is shared by the "second shift"—
Getting
to
know you
Jake meets Arthur, who got her name the day she escaped from a turkey truck headed to market and before her sex became apparent.
Turkey in the Ambrosia
Ambrosia grows annually, turning the back yard into habitat a bit like that where Jake grew up in the Ozarks south of Fayetteville.
Regardless of the turkeys and dogs, the old red rooster still commands the yard
While the original batch of hens may not lay eggs as often as they did 7 years ago, they still are a big responsibility.
Under
the
apple tree
The late Ferguson was the main man until late 2002. Momma rabbit, in the background, gave him a litter of beautiful babies a few years earlier.
Favorite treat
The only descendant of Ferguson and Momma rabbit who got to stay home enjoys a store-bought apple during the time of year when the tree shading the rabbit pens isn't producing. He keeps asking when he can take a wife.
How about me?
Thumper was the only member of her litter who survived a mower that ran over her momma's nest in Springdale in the late 1990s, She shares the abundant treats but isn't as willing as the others to be petted.
Aubrey
James Shepherd
Fayetteville, AR© 2002