Early Morning on the Farm

When I returned home from Tennessee, Kelly was shocked to learn that I was up by 6:30 every morning, showered and standing on the deck of Highlander's conference center by 6:45. I did this in part for practical reasons: 20 women sharing a dorm with 3 showers and one small hot water tank.

But there was one other, quite spectacular, consideration: sunrise over the Great Smoky Mountains.

Not visible here, deer were making their way across the fields in the coming dawn. They picked up their gait when they heard our coffee cups clinking on the deck rail and our shoes crunching the frozen leaves.

They call the mountains smoky because of the way the fog hangs low; morning light amplifies the effect. Stands of trees sit like islands in the hollows.

The colours shift dramatically as the sun rises.

The deer are long gone by the time the Highlander barn comes into view.

But other creatures soon emerge.

Wary cows and watchful donkeys.

These are working donkeys; they protect the livestock from coyotes. Donkeys have great sight, hearing, and sense of smell. They also have a fierce dislike of and are very aggressive toward dogs, and so go on the alert when they sense a coyote approaching. This involves loud braying, baring of teeth, giving chase, biting, and kicking. Coyotes are new to this region and donkeys are an increasingly common sight.

These donkeys gave me the once-over when I walked down the field to see them, but soon enough decided I was no threat. They had better things to do than worry about me and my long lens.