Now That's My Kind of Shopping!

What is it about a gray, autumn day?  There's just something about it that soothes my soul... a gentle, quiet vibe that slows time.  

With nothing pressing on my schedule, I putter around the house in domestic bliss.  A gray day is the perfect excuse to have tea by candlelight, to read a book, to work on a stitching project... without the guilt felt when doing these things on a warm sunny day.  The gardens call to me when the sun is shining... but a gray, drizzly day belongs to me!

Of course, it goes without saying, that no day belongs entirely to anyone that lives on a farm.  There are necessary chores to do and critters that need tending.  These things cannot wait.  These things are done no matter what.  It's these things, though, that give me purpose.  And though I occasionally dream of frittering away a day- I am much happier when I have a list of things to do.  

Most gals get excited shopping for a new designer purse or shoes.   Me?  I am thrilled by the purchase of a new manure fork.

I found this little fork at the feed store, yesterday, when I was there to pick up a protein block for the sheep.  It is the perfect size for our littles to use when they help us, but it also telescopes for us grown-up kids.  The best part of this particular fork is the fact that the tines are closer together.

  It's hard to pick up manure from pigs and miniature horses with a regular sized manure fork.  

So often, the poop falls right through the tines.  So, you see... I am happier than a pig in mud with my new little fork!   As for designer shoes... it's Muck shoes for this gal!

 I sat at the pond for a little, yesterday, watching the ducks. 

 You see, our farm-raised mallards have once again returned to the pond for the winter. 

 They leave each summer, I assume to raise their families - but, each autumn they return to the pond for the winter.   Here, with aerators preventing the pond from freezing, and with plenty of food available, they comfortably ride out the winter at their very own resort.

Those aerators make for the best duck spa.

I sit and watch our oldest duck... the last of our Cayuga/Swedish runner-cross ducks that were hatched out here on the farm about 9 years ago.  He dives...

 and splashes...

then rises up and shakes the water out of his feathers.

Wash, 

rinse, 

shake, repeat... 

on and on for about 10 minutes before he happily joins the rest of the flock.

Yesterday, I was delighted to receive the best gift from Mother Nature... a lone, bird-planted sunflower.  

Although the gardens throughout the farm are now dormant, the flower bed next to our garage is still blooming... but only with volunteers... nothing that I, personally, planted.  

Thank you Mother Nature!!  I truly appreciate this extension of Summer's colors.