March 27, 2026
Meanwhile, at the Ranch #3
Biweekly Roundup
The Mirror Situation
Since the lockup, things have been quiet.
Suspiciously quiet.
I put a large mirror inside the greenhouse. This is not a new idea — back when Han and Leia were in the brooder, mirrors created a “virtual flock” and calmed them down almost instantly. Two chicks who couldn’t stand touching each other sat side by side and stared at themselves for hours. Peace, restored through narcissism.
The same logic applies now. Enrichment. Stimulation. Something to look at that isn’t each other.
What I did not expect was the scheduling.
Two birds stand in front of the mirror. Two birds wait out in the pen. It is always a matched pair — Han and Leia, or Morpheus and Neo. Never a mix of older and younger. They do not share mirror time across age groups.
Then, without warning or discussion, they switch.
I turn around and the two birds who were in front of the mirror are gone, and the other two are inside, in position, like they’ve been there all along.
No argument. No drama. No one had to be asked.
The birds who spent weeks fighting over perch inches have apparently worked out an orderly timeshare arrangement for a mirror. On their own. Without me.
I cannot tell if this is impressive or deeply unsettling. Possibly both.
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Ranch Projects in Progress
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Catch Up
What’s New — Dispatches from the Ranch
Short Videos
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Questionable Choice Award
Presented with reluctant pride
What we have on camera is all four of them clearing the fence in a line — calmly, deliberately, like a small delegation that had somewhere to be and simply hadn’t mentioned it. They walked two properties down to visit the neighbor, hung out for a while, and wandered back when they felt like it.
Not lost. Not fleeing anything. Just out.
The escape is why they’re in jail now. But the award is for the escape itself.
Congratulations to Han Solo, Princess Leia, Morpheus, and Neo — this round’s Questionable Choice Award winners. You caused a 45-minute search, a minor breakdown, and a commute I did not apply for.
Welcome to the club. You were already founding members.
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If you need me, I’ll be at the hardware store for the 8th time this week and googling “can peafowl recognize themselves in a mirror or are they just impressed by the company.”