Night Shift

I love working nights at the farm. Once you get past the way the land drops off into total blackness just past the fringes of the barn, it's actually quite magical.

When I have finished feeding, stall cleaning, and breezeway raking, I love to sit and listen to the night. It's so still this time of year; nothing but the sound of horses chewing and coyotes howling. The coyotes mate for only a brief time between January and March, and last week the blackness of the forest was filled with a loud and eerie chorus of howling. Pretty darn cool!

From my view in the breezeway, I can see Miss Scarlet starting to doze off out on the loafing shed.

The loafing shed is the figurative equine water cooler basically. They all hang out there and socialize.

Leo is the new kid on the block, and he's so super sweet.

And this is me hoping Cowboy doesn't decide to turn around (in his signature move) and bite Buckeye on the butt, sending a scattering equine assemblage in my direction while I'm camped out hoof-level on the loafing shed getting just the right shot. :)

And thus ends an evening at "work." Though it isn't really. Okay, well, sometimes it is...when it's freezing cold, or better yet, freezing cold and wet. But who's counting!

Good night.

Sleep tight.

******

It occured to me when I was posting these pictures that some of my very favorite horse pics were taken at this very same time last year. If you missed it, click here!!!