Monday

I felt like the dutiful partner who sets her alarm clock to make sure her guy wakes up in time to catch a predawn ride to Chicago, then herself doesn't go back to sleep because, well, once you're up, you may as well stay that way.

How to make use of this early set of hours? I decided to make the tedious task of depositing yet another mouse into the fields more interesting by going out to the Nature Conservancy and watching the sun rise over the rather pretty if bare forests there. (It's a short two miles along the rural roads from where we live.)

Since I've last been there, a farmer enclosed the fields next to the public pathway and there are now longhorns grazing on the grasses. I lingered a while, because the sight was so very pretty. Birds swooped down in droves, the hoarfrost did its magic in the fields and the cattle looked so very content.






And eventually, the sun cracked the horizon, intensifying the colors and leaving me with that feeling of peace that comes on these beautiful early mornings in the country.






Breakfast was, of course, alone (Ed's in Chicago on some machinists' event), but I had a magazine to keep me company.






The farmhouse was still. I did the odd chore and then got ready for Snowdrop's visit. Because if it's Monday, it's Snowdrop at the farmhouse day!

(Did I tell you how much she seems to love penguins? Not quite sure why, but this guy is definitely her pal here, as is the book about a baby penguin who happens to run through similar activities that she does -- eat, play, bathe, etc.)






As you could tell from the sunrise, it's a beautifully sunny day today, even though we've definitely dipped some twenty degrees below last week's highs. Still, 50F (10C) is not bad for November! We go out to give bread to the chickens -- always a high point for Snowdrop...






... and then we go out front to admire the leaves the maples have shed.






I tell Snowdrop that some of the best views are if you look up toward the sky. The canopy of gold is gorgeous right now. She tries it. And smiles.






In the late afternoon, we return to Snowdrop's neighborhood. This is where I love to walk with her and she is almost always an eager participant in these ramblings. Adding warmer clothes did at first elicit protest on her part, but I think she's getting used to the new outdoor routines, especially when the sun retreats and there's a chill in the air.







Once again, I take her to the new playground and this time she is much more comfortable and confident here!






A young child will always let you see the opportunities that each day presents. She wont let you sink into complacency. She'll open herself up to your guidance with a smile on her face. How grand is that!