Cattle Kisses, Cat Confusion, And Succulent Profusion
Like most homesteaders and farmers, I haul my carcass out of the house fairly early in the morning to do daily chores. The cool thing about chores time is that I never know what I am going to witness. Like, am I going to get to start the day in exasperation because the cows chewed the cord off of the tank heater again, or is it going to be one of those whimsy days where the animals amuse me with their antics.
It was definitely a whimsy day!
To start with, due to a transportation snafu, I ran the kids to school. Our high school does an open gym from 6:30 until school starts throughout the year, and my over achiever heathens get up before dawn and go shoot hoops until the first bell rings. Usually they ride with our neighbor kids, but today that was not the case, so I hauled them up to school.
That said, this situation found me doing morning chores in the daylight instead of the dark or barely light of dawn.
My first view was this:
Now, I don't know if it was because I was about an hour late, or that they were happy because the sun was out, or that they were just happy to see me because they were hungry, but my moos were super affectionate this morning.
I mean, S&P, my big steer is not the most lovey creature, and he stuck his nose right in my grill for a morning smooch. Of course I obliged.
And Chloe, our teddy bear of a heifer wanted all the scratchies. She is so shaggy and cuddly right now.
After giving the moos at least a half a metric ton of hay, I stepped outside with the horse's grain in hand and busted into a big ol smile because the sun was actually out! It has been so grey lately.
It was then that my attention was drawn towards the fir trees next to my house. A cat conclave had gathered in that sector and I saw the source of the conundrum was none other than Pickles. He was staring intently up the tree and meowing in a rather persistent and somewhat annoying cadence.
When I walked up to him, he didn't break his gaze at all, even when I asked him what was up. That cat is a little peculiar.
The source of his attention black hole was none other than The Lizard. Apparently she and our German Shepherd mix Lani had an altercation, for she was a few feet up in the big tree. Lani sat next to me and stared up at The Lizard too, she didn't look repentant at all.
After watching me chide Lani, The Lizard jumped out of the tree and strutted around like all vindicated creatures do, and I giggled and continued my march back to the house. I think it was due to the sun, but I had to stop and gander at my hen and chicks.
Many, many years ago I planted one little tiny Hen and Chicks plant on the top of this old burned out cedar stump in my yard. It has thrived under my consistent neglect. I love that plant.
And now I must leave this mind meander, for I must fill and frost the birthday cake I baked, it's my mom's birthday!!
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's currently covered in hay bits and not liking it iPhone.