Early in the morning is when I like to think. Not that
I don’t like to think all the time, but, early
in the morning is when I set the tone for the rest of
my day – and it’s often when I get the best
answers.
Take
right now, for instance. It’s about 5 AM here
and the house is finally quiet. The bullfrogs partying
all night outside my window have called it a wrap and
the dogs on guard duty in the kennels are convinced
it wasn’t Steven King and his monsters flying
through the trees last night. It was just an owl. Who
told them? Maybe, those frogs!
I
went outside this morning to check on the animals –
a nice peaceful walk around the place – and Mamie,
the wild cat who gave herself the job of winning us
over, was at her usual spot beside the building where
we mix the dog food. “Good morning, Mamie. That
was a real slick thing you did yesterday when Holly
the Greyhound chased you under the porch. I never knew
there was a missing stone … and a hole you could
jump through. Holly didn’t either.
Mamie
purrs and tries her best to trip me as I walk into the
building and open the refrigerator to find the fresh
ground beef we keep on hand just for her. As I’m
doing so, I think about my neighbor, Dave, milking his
cows and remind myself to get some fresh, whole milk
today… The news headlines scrolling across my
mind are saying: China, Russia negotiate deals with
Iran and other oil-supplying nations … Japanese
company grants oil-drilling contract in disputed Chinese
waters …
Mamie
calls to the half-grown kitten she found and brought
home for us a while back, and they have their breakfast.
All seems well here and I move on to the old English
racing bike that I refuse to give up. Pushing off, I
pedal out the dirt lane past the small lake on one side
and tall evergreen trees overgrown with Virginia Creeper
and honeysuckle vines on the other. I make my way past
the black mailbox and across the road to my neighbor’s
dairy… Scotland Yard follows up on information
about London subway bombings …
“Good
morning, Tina!” I say to the faithful German Shepherd
barking outside the cow barn and letting me know by
her presence where Dave is. For as long as I’ve
known her, she always stays near him. I enter the barn
and call out to my friend. “Mornin’!”
he hollers back at me, from somewhere on the other side
of his Black and White Holsteins. “I got your
milk ready!” he says, and I see three plastic
gallon bottles waiting beside the door. I put his money
on the windowsill, pick up the bottles and head for
the stable. I always feel good here.
Inside
the stable, I see clean stalls filled with horses. Some
of them are mine. Taking a minute, I look around and
remember when Dave and I stood in this same building.
I can still hear him saying “Ron, I’ve always
wanted a horse stable.” We were standing in an
old storage barn, filled with junk. “I can see
it, Dave,” I said, sensing his dream. “Go
for it, man!” That was then, this is now –
and Dave has his boarding stable…. Unknown energy
surges wreaking global havoc, weather chaos …
I
pick up a brush and make my way half way down the center
aisle as horses nicker to me. “Good morning,”
I say to Honey Babes as she reaches her face toward
me. “I’ll be with you soon,” I say,
moving on to the next stall where a large Bay mare stands
patiently. “How are you, Larissah?” I ask,
sliding aside the stall door and petting her neck as
I walk inside. “And how are you, young lady?”
I ask the two month old filly on the other side of her.
It will be our usual game of Catch Me If You Can. And
I do catch her, but first she has to dance around the
stall a few times, so she can tell her friends she didn’t
give in too easily. I like this filly, sired by Ala
Croixnoire. There’s something different about
her. Of course, there’s something different about
all of the animals in our lives isn’t there? …
New strain of Bird Flu threatens to kill millions…world
leaders brace for onslaught … |