I take all of my photos on my back porch in the morning because the light is so nice. I try to get them all done before the sun gets above the tree line. This means I am out there by about 7:30 am working fast and furiously because if I miss this perfect light I have to wait until after 10 am. Funny things have been happening during these photography sessions! I am told that the story I am about to tell you is unusual and many of you might not even believe me. I did video it this morning….it is documentation that I have truly lost a few screws, so to say. I will only show it if absolute proof is necessary.
I have been practicing my crowing! Yes – I am learning to crow. We have free range chickens that live on our acreage and they start crowing about 5 am but settle down by about 6 every morning. They sleep in the trees at night near the barn but their routine has evolved into a march down our dirt road which leads them into the woods behind our back porch. I was snapping photos one morning and feeling silly so I started trying to crow at them. They just looked at me with heads cocked. But I have been practicing – and now they crow back at me whenever I crow at them. I must be pretty good! They get very excited and start showing off for each other. The drop a wing and walk in a circle around each other like they are dancing. The hen always responds first and regularly (I did not know that hens would crow) with the roosters chiming in at random. On a lucky day – I have them all 4 crowing at once. They wait until I let it fly and then they respond. They will not crow until I have finished. This goes on and on until I just get tired of it or my throat starts to hurt. Yes, crowing makes your throat sore if you do it right! This morning they allowed me to stand right in the middle of them and we all sang a chorus of crowing songs with the cat wandering in and out of the production. She likes to live dangerously.
After I went inside this morning it occurred to me that this crowing stuff is the result of significant change in my sense of well-being. A month ago I would have never thought of letting it fly with the roosters but now it seems apropos. Things have been going so “right” for me lately and the crowing seems to be a joyful way of expressing my gratitude – even if only the chickens are hearing it. I love to crow because it makes me laugh and I look forward to seeing those silly chickens in the mornings. It is a nice way to start my daily routine. The chickens are an example of how to start each day – with a loud burst of happiness. They crow. And now I crow….
If you need proof of my crowing talent just ask me and I might consider sending you a text message with my video….maybe! Me in my pajamas and the chickens singing a morning song…. or I might just leave it to your imagination!
