Autumn mornings are becoming chilly and when the sun is barely above the mountains I go down and feed our critters while my kids eat their own breakfast.
Over the creek, down to the home pasture, I am greeted by our Akbash, Clover...she's forever hopeful I will bring a morsel of breakfast with me...
Inside our little barn, there is shuffling ~ all 7 critters have heard me and are stretching their legs. A few bleat morning greetings...
Peekaboo, I see you! And the goats try desperately to hop their gate...Heidi always does, while Willy bleats indignantly for me to open the gate properly.
I let the sheep out first and put them on their side of the home pasture, separated from Romeo and the goats. Then, I fill water troughs and haybags while the bleating becomes a little desperate...
Goats are impatient...and crafty...
Sheep have slightly better manners...
Walking the haybags to the trees where they hang, Heidi samples my boots...
The sheep are telling me to hurry up...
Clover is attentive to her flock...at a year and a half, she is really settling into her role as guardian. No one would guess how so totally submissive she is to her humans...a perfect farm dog.
After 20 minutes of morning chores, including tending the chickens, my farmgirl wanders down from the house to say good morning to the animals. She prefers her chickens but she always has a scratch for the goats or sheep.
A good perch to watch the critters
The sheep are finished their hay and move to the sparse pickings on the pasture, under the watchful eye of Romeo on the other side of the fence.
Romeo is getting anxious for his two weeks of "courting" the girls...but not too soon as I don't want to lamb until my husband is finished his winter work in the mountains. Romeo likes to sit close to the girls, though, and often they sit in a cluster by day's end, flirting as only sheep can ~ over mouthfuls of cud and soft nickers of affection.
Romance is in the air...just two more weeks for a little farmyard frolic!
Morning chores are finished and it's time to start the day!
