Yesterday Stan had a bout with Cub Cadet, the riding lawnmower. The stately rooster regards the loud, grass spitting machine his nemesis. He'll stand right in the way and dare Cub Cadet to make him move. When I guide the machine toward him he'll do the upright manly retreat as if he were planning to move in that direction any way. When I turn machine around he'll crow like mad. So, I come around and have another try at him. Stan retreats with his head high and tail down. Waving the Japanese beetles out of my face, I accidentally turn the mower so he's sprayed with grass.
Irritated, Stan crows as loud as he can. At that moment a Japanese beetle slams into his face. Astonished, he stares at me, and drops his shoulder in challenge. Oh, it was on! I readied the lawnmower for a charge, but the Japanese beetles were ahead of me. Another shimmering beetle landed neatly on his comb. Then a three inch long grasshopper lands on his back. I throttle back the lawnmower to see what happens.
Stan shakes his head to remove the beetle but it clings to him in the manner of a beetle. The giant grass hopper moves along his back. Horrified, my 'brave' rooster squeals like a chick and races toward me. He stops a few feet from the lawnmower and squats. He peers at me from between the beetle's legs. The giant grasshopper proceeds to munch on a feather.
I hop off the mower to rescue my poor rooster. I pick him up and flick the grasshopper off his back. Then I carefully pried the clinging beetle from his face.
"Your are supposed to be a companion for the horse," I tell him.
He clucks a low sound at me. I put him down. He looks at me and makes his way to the barn. He clucks and cackles to himself the entire way.
