Made that mistake of falling back asleep this morning and awoke groggy and out of sorts at 7am to three cat faces staring at me saying ‘what time do you call this?!? Breakfast, now!’
As the animals are routine orientated, so I have become. Which puts to my groggy mind the question, which came first my setting a routine, or the animals demanding I stick to the routine? That thought needs a clear mind to determine. Whichever way, as I normally wake up earlier, being two hours late has really put a crimp in the day as well as the mind.
Getting up, there was tuna to be dispensed as I had run out of cat food and their food order had yet to arrive. Normally a favourite, it was now sniffed at, noses turned up and I was presented with three bottoms. I gather it was not the right kind of tuna. Or now they were just not hungry. Or on protest hunger strike, for the moment.
Stumbling bleary eyed down the stairs and outside, I could hear Maggie, with George, in the barn yelling ‘Oy!! Out now! We are not happy about this!’ Door duly opened they stampeded out with great purpose. I think it was their way of telling me ‘Out of the way! Important things to be doing! Don’t know what these things are, but they are important. Especially as we are late to doing them.’
Down into the garden to be greeted by a cacophony of ‘Where have you been?!? We are starving!’ (Even though they have food and water always available.) The duck enclosure door couldn’t be opened fast enough as all the ducks tried to squeeze out the opening, amongst lots of telling me off.
Water bowls changed and lettuce heads hung via Mr P’s new brilliant system to lessen wastage. The lettuce head is hung from a branch above, resting just above ground height. As it gets eaten down it swings more and more. The ducks sometimes treat it like a beak punching bag, playing with it, as well as eating it. It provides diverting fun for them (and us).
Then it is mealy worms time. They are like piranha’s when it comes to his tasty protein snack. The worms are distributed amongst the water bowls and they attack with gusto. The water froths with their frenetic activity. It never gets tiring to watch the enthusiasm, even when the mind is groggy.
Coming back in the house to find Pumpjack had been woken by the doorbell and was receiving a parcel delivery. That’s a truly early service. The cat food had arrived, but the cats had disappeared. Such is life when it is out of sorts.
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