Where do the days go ?

Is it really 6.15am already, it only feels like 5 minutes since I turned out the lights and pulled closed the big cedar barn doors last night. The evening “shift” down at the barn is always more fun than the organized chaos of the early morning. Roman the black Morgan, always demanding to be the first…first to eat, first to rug up…first to turn out and yes…always first to want to come back to his stall in the evening. Starbuck has firmly established his position as top of the totem pole horse and Charm, formerly beauty with a lot of attitude has had to settle for the beauty and defer to the black appaloosa. Starbuck ambles to the pasture gate, one ear turned to listen for any movement from the golden palomino. Charm, anxious for his apple treat but not anxious enough to incur the wrath of Buck stands, motionless, his beautiful golden head slightly turned so he won’t get eye contact with the black gelding. Only when Starbuck the pasture bully leaves the field, with a toss of the head and a flick of a blonde tail Charm’s courage is restored. Equine politics aren’t too remote from our own after all. In the big pasture, the two imposing Shires watch the social pantomime from a distance waiting for the whistle they know will come. As we walk down the stony farm road, they watch and wait for the call that will bring them thundering across the still green pasture to the gate. The Gentle Giants will drop their heads for the head collars and quietly make their way back to the barn, the steady clip clop of eight giant hooves resounding across the quiet valley. In the back field, the old guys wait. Cooper anxious just because he doesn’t know what not to be anxious about and 30 year old T Bone…just wanting his dinner. The two big old bays come in together, they go out together and they hang around together. The walk back to the barn is slow, Cooper wants to visit, am I REALLY sure there isn’t another tiny bit of apple somewhere ? T Bone turns his gnarled old head to challenge the rooster, the goats or Bran the Border Collie. Rocking on his unstable legs he can still show the feisty two year old that lives within and he may not have all his teeth but the dog has had a few close encounters with T Bone who isn’t prepared to be old yet !!

In the cow barn, Greg prepares Daisy Mae for milking whilst Goliath the steer who wants to be a house pet and the two gentle Holsteins come to visit. Mojo the little Dexter calf bounces in from the pasture on the end of a lead rope and Misty Moo the Jersey heifer out in her pen quietly calls for attention.

In the sheep pen, Rodney the ram accounts for his harem and, with the hay mangers full and a warm dry bed, life is good.

In the chicken houses, Adolf the hen pecked Rhode Island Red rooster collects his ladies and the roosts are lined with puffed up feathers watching with sharp beady eyes as the lights go out for another day.

 Time for me to go, the cuckoo clock has spoken but before I do I want to thank everyone for their support. My first book signing was AMAZING and I had so much fun visiting. Three hours just TALKING….Maureen Heaven. It’s the Blend in Key Center tonight and even more visiting !!!Smile.

Take care, keep safe, M