Great post to remind us to enjoy life rather than rush through it. We forget that each day is a gift. No one is guaranteed to be here tomorrow. The mortality rate in America is 100%...everyone dies at some point.
That said, for fun I have a sarcastic question: You said "The barn had the mellow scent of uncrowded, unhurried animals..."
Do crowded and hurried animals smell different than the unhurried ones? 
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Joe
See Porsche run. Run, Porsche, Run:
`87 911 Carrera