Coffee Clutch with Dutch Henry: "Rainy Mornings"

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

"Rainy Mornings"

Howdy Folks,

Rainy mornings bring a different feel of togetherness to the Coffee Clutch. Especially chilly raining mornings like today. With a steaming cup in hand, I settled into my chair next to Kessy, who with matted, dripping hair was eagerly tugging at her hay, Tigger jumped into my lap almost before I was down, and immediately began rubbing her wet hair on my coveralls. Saturday burrowed deep in the straw piled in the corner of Kessy's stall for occasions just like this. He snuggles so far down all that can be seen is the tip top of his back.

It's fun to watch the chickens on rainy mornings. One or two at a time, they fly from the chicken house, waddle about, keeping a lower profile than normal, then drift in single file, complaining little groups past Kessy and me into the barn. I have two areas, one under the picnic table which serves as my, "place to pile things I need often," and at the far end of the dirt floor aisle, where I scatter a bit of scratch each day. These inside feeding stations are the preferred dining halls on inclement days, and often the waiting line for tables is three to four chickens deep.

Wet chickens waiting for their tables, strut about the barn annoying or entraining, depending on the opinion of those being annoyed or entertained. Kessy for instance, keeps an eye on the hens who are certain the seeds in her hay are put there just for them. Almost no rainy morning is complete without a head shake, snort and foot stomp from Kessy establishing the parameters around her hay, beyond which no hen, or rooster is allowed. Funny thing, that parameter always shrinks and shrinks as the persistent chickens persist, and eventually Kessy and a chicken will be, beak to nose!

Saturday enjoys scratch too and will, from his warm nest in the straw, keep an eye on the band of chickens under the table, and when he sees an opening, sneak in and grab a bit of grain. His delight usually lasts about 20 seconds. That's about how long it takes for a feisty hen to decide he should go back to bed. So he does.

Tigger never moves, curled deep in my lap. Actually for her the Coffee Clutch routine is the same every day, snow rain or shine. She hops in my lap as I settle down, curls up tight. And never moves. Unless it is below 30 degrees. Then she stays in the house and forgoes Coffee Clutch altogether.

I hope you have as wonderful a morning, and day as Kessy, the Coffee Clutch gang and I did today … Of course you ARE part of the Coffee Clutch gang … So let us know what you love about a rainy morning … And God Bless!!

Gitty Up,
Dutch

4 comments:

OdeeNovember 13, 2012 at 9:34 AM
Which coffee was that today, Dutch? And thank you again, for such positiveness, on a cool, rainy morn'

Happy trails, my friend!
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UnknownNovember 13, 2012 at 3:23 PM
I giggled thru the whole thing, thank you for inviting me to the clutch. :)
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Dutch HenryNovember 13, 2012 at 4:42 PM
Thank you for joining us here in the Clutch, Paula! ... I was giggling too this morning, well I do most mornings things are always fun in the barn ... Please invite your friends to join us, too. Thanks!
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Welcome to the Coffee Clutch

Welcome to the Coffee Clutch, a happy place to visit. I write uplifting stories about a wide variety of subjects from horses to birds and nature, to love and family and friends. Sometimes I'll post excerpts from stories I've written for Equine Publications. Sometimes I'll post about writing itself. Coffee Clutch got its name because I often write while enjoying my morning coffee in the barn with my mare Kessy, and all our critters. Join us here for fun conversation and stories I promise will make you feel good.

It's For The Horses

This is not a book about riding, or training horses. It is a book on my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how folks might find the joy in doing things for the horse, with the horses’ point of view as the leading guide. My hope is to help as many people as possible learn to hear the horse, feel their spirit, and in that way help horses everywhere. Over the years I’ve met and worked with remarkable people and horses who taught me about their feelings, their joys, their sadness, and their spirit. As a horse advocate everything I do is from the horse’s perspective, including this little book. Every story, idea, suggestion and thought on these pages will be to suggest and share thoughts and ideas on how to maximize a relationship between horse and human—from the horse’s point of view.

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