Morning Glory!

I generally wake up at 2:00 AM and the dogs and cats are happy to begin their day. I spend several hours at the computer, tend to the cat litter and cat food, feed and water the parakeet and guinea pig, sweep the floors, exercise, and eat breakfast. Then I leave the dogs and cats to lounge about in comfort as I go out to do the morning chores:

And this is one reason to go out early. I am frequently treated to such breathtaking sunrises as this:

There is glorious beauty in every direction, but especially in the east, and it changes rapidly. I make it a point to pay attention:

I enter and turn on the lights in the main barn and then in the pigeons' room:

Then in the chickens' room:

The cattle are up early, even while it's still dark. I call them into the barn for grain, after which they walk over to the stock tank for a long drink of water. Five of them, after all, are producing milk and that requires lots of clean water:


But even a brief feeding inside the barn results in copious, runny cow manure dropped all across the barn floor. I clean it up and then spread clean bedding hay over the area. This picture, of course, is AFTER I'd cleaned:

I go back outside and take another look at the ever changing sky:

On warm days, I leave the dogs outside in their fenced yard while I do the chores. I expect to do that less frequently as winter strengthens:

If they need a new hay bale, I get out the tractor and bring one to the cattle. For their part, the Red Polls spend most of their day clustered around the hay bale feeder. Eating and pooping are two of their primary jobs:

If the weather is good enough, I let the chickens out. The pigeons have already been secured inside safely for the duration of the winter. As soon as everything is permanently covered with snow, I'll do likewise for the chickens:

Every day and, sometimes, every minute there is a new and beautiful sky presenting itself. It's important to take the time to stop and see it. I'm back in the house by 7:15 to begin my day: