Festus was a little white bantam rooster from my first batch of chickens. My children have fond memories of Festus chasing them around the yard and wreaking havoc on their lives. My son recalls getting off the bus, carefully looking around for the little white demon, and then running down the driveway only to be ambushed by the little fellow from his hideout in the shrubbery.

On another occasion, my son’s friend was visiting and asked if he could go feed the horse. “Sure,” I said, welcoming the help. I watched him head out to the stable, but then I got busy doing inside chores. About 45 minutes later, I realized that he hadn’t come back in the house.

He was outside, sitting in the back seat of my car. I approached the car door and glancing around, he rolled down the window.

“What are you doing, Cody?” I asked.

Festus with a couple of his girlfriends

He replied: “After I fed the horse, a little white chicken chased me to the car and wouldn’t let me come out.”

More exciting antics of Festus to come…