Early Morning Chores

I get up about 2:00. I sip coffee at the computer, feed and water all the inside animals, clean litter boxes, sweep the downstairs floors and vacuum the carpet in my bedroom. I bundle up warmly and make sure the dogs and cats are comfortable before I go outdoors:

Here's one typical morning: At about 6:30, I left the dogs inside and went out to do the chores. The moon by then was in the western sky and there was just enough light to see the neighbors' barn:

I walked out to the county road and looked back at my house, where the lights inside gave it a welcoming look:

Across the road, the neighbors' horses were just waking up:

But I had chores to do, so I walked back toward the barn, passing my house on the way:

I turned on the lights in the pigeons' room and made sure they were OK, counting them:

Then I turned on the lights in the chickens' room, counting them also to be sure they were all there:

Then I rang a cowbell and the cows came in for some molasses covered grain. They don't really need the grain, but it keeps them tame and, I believe, puts an extra shine on their coats:

Then I shooed them back out of the barn - hopefully, before they pooped too much inside. They each drank some water and then returned to their hay bale feeder on the east side of the barn:

I was all done for the morning then, and returned to the house, glancing back once to see the sky turning pink from the rising sun: