Life, In Six Hour Segments

Winter is here.  There's no doubt about it.  Every morning, we head to the barn as the sun begins to touch the horizon.  Most mornings of late the temperature is somewhere in the 20's (F).  We wear our layers, quilted pants, gloves and hats and greet the day with tearing eyes and running noses (from the cold).

Ivy, our house kitty, meows her goodbye to us each morning - preferring the sunlight and warmth of the back corner of our kitchen window,

where she can watch the comings and goings of the small flock of pine siskin that frequent the feeders hanging amongst the dry tall grasses.

We head out into the twilight, stopping first at the pond, where, if we time it just right, thirty-some mallard ducks arrive to join our home flock for breakfast.  It's a sight to behold as these ducks arrive and circle the pond area looking for the perfect landing strip.  They fly round and round before aiming for the tree-limb-free space directly above the pond, and then almost silently glide across the top of the water.

The ducks are eating us out of house and home.  

There must have been a really great review of our place in the Duckworld Gazette, as we have more ducks enjoying our pond than ever...