Day 339.

Sam - placid in the hands of the ladies. Photography by F L Campbell

Bush eggs: one. Nest box eggs: none. Feed hopper: quarter full. Weather: beautiful day, cold but clear.

He’s a good rooster though, Jack.

I remember Blacky, The Ancient One, telling a story Sam. He was a real firecracker, part “small rooster syndrome”, part “redhead” she said. He was very tame around The Female Person but any male people used to send him into a frenzy of stealth and attack. One Christmas the male people and a couple of male friends tried to put champagne corks on his spurs in retaliation for all the attacks he had launched on them. But instead Sam bailed them up in the porch – three huge male people scared of one small rooster. Astounding!

He was real nasty to Blacky on occasion too. One time he chased her and beat her so unmercilessly that she flew up onto the third-story roof of the people house and had to be rescued by The Female Person and a very tall ladder.

Jack is truly mild-mannered by comparison.