Roosters crowed in the dark.

Roosters crowed in the dark. Tigger blinked a protest at the sudden brightness of the light being turned on. A distant a train whistle floated in the air. Saturday could hardly keep his eyes open. The first of the Guinea chickens to wake flew from the chicken house. Ravishin, Robbie said when we turn the clocks back to Eastern Standard Time it'll be light again at 6:30, but for now, most mornings Kessy and the Coffee Clutch gang isn't meeting until after 7:00. And it's still dark then!

Guinea chickens in the chicken house could be a sign of bad, or cold, weather coming. They like to roost in trees most of the time, but will gather with the Banties when it's cold, snowy and sometimes in bad rain storms. I noticed last evening they were going in and thought about the past few cold mornings, but the weather forecast is for the 70s to return for the next week. I chuckled when I thought they must have not heard that. Sure enough all 5 Guineas slept in last night.

We haven't seen a Hummingbird in a few days either. We do keep a few feeders up until well into November as we will often get a stray, late traveler stop in to refuel on its trip south. The latest Hummingbird since we've moved here to Appomattox was November 15. So if you're feeding hummers don't be in too big a hurry to take down your feeders. It is about a week early, though, for them to be gone. Another sign?

I wonder how soon the Juncos will arrive. The little slate gray birds who nest much farther north but winter in the northern US. You might know them as snowbirds. I heard on the news yesterday that at least one Almanac was predicting a lot of snow and bad weather for the Mid-Atlantic States.  So if they heard that too, well, they could show up any day.

The Phoebies flitted about in twos and threes, snapping their beaks and calling, "Phoebeee … Phoebeeee."  Are they gathering to head south?

Kessy, Saturday and the chickens fed, I settled into to my chair, poured a cup of coffee from the thermos and thanked God for a beautiful morning. I do that every morning, no matter the weather. With a sweet wife, great daughter and son-in-law, darling grandbabies, friends like you who join us here, distant train whistles, roosters crowing, birds singing , great pets and horse who loves our coffee clutch, every morning IS indeed a beautiful morning.

As Kessy tugged and munched her hay, I noticed she had a respectable start on a thick winter coat. Are we in for a lot of "snowy" beautiful mornings this winter? Oh my.

Have a beautiful day! ~ Dutch