One Goose

November stepped up to be counted this weekend, letting us know that he's  ready to rumble. Cold winds blew across the land and down the valley, so vigorous that a Red-tailed Hawk sat on the "breeze" over the heifer barn, as still as a hovering Kestrel, for as long as it took me to hang out half the laundry.

Extra clothespins, please.

He was an amazing sight, maybe thirty feet over the roof, feathers pressed hard against his body as he hovered in place, all his colors lit brightly by the late, low light. As I hung the last towel, he side slipped over the horizon, to take his hunting elsewhere.

 I was glad to have seen him there, marking the strength of the wind.

It found every chink in the house, and as always in an old farm house like this one, there were plenty of chinks.

Last night it was so cold I left the heat turned up for Peggy. Normally we never do that, just turn it way down and pile on the blankets, but it was too cold to sit in the kitchen, and thus too cold, in my mind at least, for the little one.

Uncle Alan bought her some funny tummy time toys, which were sure good for some laughs. One is a piano thingy with toys dangling from a hoop. The baby plays the piano by lying on their back kicking a big plastic keyboard with their feet. It took her about three seconds to figure out how to make it go, and then she gave it one heck of a workout. We all sat around watching her thump the heck out of it and talk to the dangly toys for a good long time.

I got up grumpy today though. After nearly a week at home our boy is off to the nation's capitol again today and probably won't get home for several weeks....that is enough for a good grump right there, and there were plenty of other little grouchy things to keep me frowning too. 

And then, instead of coming in for breakfast Daisy took off for the heifer barn where the hens are....and the kids moved the turkey tractor inside yesterday, so they are there too. I ran out in my bare feet to call her back before she got into serious trouble and there he was.

Flying west all alone, calling sadly to the sky. One lone Canada Goose, with the sunrise lighting his feathers from below, turning him to molten gold and silver, and all the colors of the morning.

Country life. You just can't beat it.