It just wasn't my day !

 Dawn in the barn, and we were in a rush.High speed horse breakfast service, blankets off, blankets on, pocket full of carrot morsels and off out to the pasture. From the depths of the “Chicken Shack”, Tux the big black rooster crows and there is a resounding and challenging “cock a doodle doo” in response from Adolf  the Rhode Island Red Rooster, busily managing his harem in the “Roost with a view”. Bran the Border Collie, nose pointing into the wind and tail waving like a black and white banner, somehow anchored four paws to the hood of the four wheeler. Bobbing and weaving as the vehicle  bounced over uneven ground Bran enthusiastically accompanied Greg on his early morning high speed hay drop off into still cold empty pastures. Daisy Mae, the black Dexter cow that loves her back scratch, now down to one milking session a day was anxious to get into the milking stand. Arguably Daisy wanted to ease pressure on her swollen udder but more likely her sights were set on the protein rich grain waiting in her breakfast bucket. Misty Moo the golden Jersey heifer patiently waited for her head collar to be fastened but fussed restlessly when my fumbling fingers had to re adjust. A subtle head butt in my nether regions reminded me that in my haste I had forgotten to offer her a reward. Daisy Mae anxious both to be milked and to remind Misty of her junior status in the cow barn reciprocated with a much less subtle swing of her head and Misty reeled on impact. Rodney the ram led the resounding chorus for breakfast from the back of the barn and in the goat pen, Macho, still cohabiting with his duo of does tried valiantly to out bleat every voice on the farm…. four legs or two.

Just because we were on a deadline…..The key turned in the ignition of the big old tractor and the engine growled …then died. The bucket full of steaming manure was going nowhere and the dead vehicle was effectively blocking the entrance to horse stalls. Greg hooked up the jump start box and I clumsily fell over the ( apparently VERY visible) cable that clearly wasn’t visible to me.  Busily adding bedding to the stalls whilst the unsupervised hosepipe (over) filled Quest’s bucket, I didn’t notice the separation of the once too often repaired splice joint and the subsequent mini flood in the barn yard ( hope it doesn’t rain…we’ll have an ice rink).  Just to add insult to injury, whilst juggling a rake, shovel and broom at the same time as try to push a wheelbarrow which apparently had no intention of going in the same direction as me, the rake attacked… causing subsequent discoloration around my eye ( yet another black eye. DOH)…again !!!

 Something tells me today just wasn’t my day but tomorrow, Misty Moo will be a sweetheart, Daisy Mae will be an angel the tractor will start (and stay started). The hosepipe, fixed ( again) will fill the buckets not create a lake in the barnyard and I will survive the day without a potential black eye.
 Sorry no photos today...no time to find the camera and I'd probably have broken it anyway !

Take care, keep safe  oh, and dry…(it’s supposed to rain for the first time in a long time, sorry England). M