How Mornings Begin

Most of my days start the same. The house cats wake me up so I'll let them out. Most morning they go out before daylight. I always hope that no wandering coyotes or errant hunting dogs notice them while they make their cat rounds. They usually finish their cat work (which involves a lot of peeing on the boxwoods) and return within a half hour.

Meanwhile I put on my barn clothes and fix breakfast for various animals. The house cats are served first, then Olivia in the garage. Then I start the walk to the paper box about 350 feet down the driveway. Lately, Hubert the beagle—confined to the garage because he's recuperating from having a rapidly growing cyst removed from his tail—walks with me. The walk takes longer with Hubert because he has many stops to make. The sun is rising as we approach the paper box. This morning's sunrise looked like this:

On the walk back to the house, I usually hear Melody nickering. She gets impatient for her breakfast.

Back in the garage I measure out the horse pellets—two coffee cans-worth for Cupcake, who is elderly and losing weight; three-fourths of a can for Melody who definitely isn't losing weight—and the dry dog food. I carry the dry dog food into the kitchen and mix in some softer burger-type stuff. Then I mix dry cat food with canned food for the barn cats.

Halfway down the yard, Twiggy and her kittens—now bigger than she is—usually come up to meet me and lead the way down to the tack room where I'll feed them.

Are they worried I'll lose my way if I don't follow them?

I dish out their food and then feed the horses. I close Cupcake in the stall because she eats so slowly. While horses and cats eat, I feed the dogs. Maggie the border collie meets me at the gate with a ball or frisbee; the others eat fast while Maggie plays because Maggie is the boss and eats whatever and wherever she pleases.

By the time I've finished throwing Maggie's toy, Melody has finished eating. I walk up the hill, sometimes with Melody beside me and sometimes with her in front of me, and open the gate to the front pasture. Then I return to Cupcake and open her stall gate.

I collect my dog pan, horse cans, and cat pan, and start the hike back up to the house where my husband will have the coffee made.

After I've eaten, showered, and glanced at the paper (which rarely takes more than a few minutes because it's rather thin), I'll take my second cup of coffee to the computer and read friends' blogs or see what's happening on Facebook.

This is how my day usually starts.

~