"To me every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle." - Walter Chrysler. This is the first time I really observed my farm in great detail. I found things I never knew were there. I watched the animals and found out things about them that I never knew before. I’m really grateful to be living on a farm even though it’s a lot of work.

It's an eighty-degree day in the middle of October. The sun is shining, the sky is clear, and everything is full of life. The trees are ruffled by the warm breeze. The reds, oranges, and yellows of the trees contrast the blue sky perfectly. The young roosters practice their crowing but sound like a child's strangled cry. The talkative ducks sit and quack, having a conversation amongst themselves. The goats scream, wanting to be let out of their pen so they can munch on the last of the green grass. The pesky Asian beetles swarm my house, scurrying around, trying to find a warm place for the winter. The dogs sit out in the sun, chewing on sticks, appreciating a lazy day. When the big, green truck comes, the dogs jump up and race to herd it. The old, lady dog jumps at the truck, chewing on its fender, leaving scratches. The truck comes to a stop and she goes back to her spot on the ground to take a nap. But when someone starts to work on the ground, she’s right there “helping" you. She gets in your face, wanting attention. Once you yell at her and tell her to go and lay down, she slowly walks back and lays in the sun. The outdoor cat stalks some small animal in the brush. But the young black lab finds the outdoor cat and breaks his concentration. The young dog gives him a lick and the cat sits there in disgust. Finally, the cat gets tired of the young lab’s behavior. He then swats the dog and walks away. The young dog decides to leave the cat alone for now, but will probably be back to torment the cat once more. The cat walks over to the sand pile and rolls in it. He appreciates the warm sand; the dust makes his black fur look lighter. The dust covers up his gray hair. Now he is napping in the dust with the sun feeling like a warm blanket. He is content. The rabbits are in one big pen. In this one pen, they lay in the hay and cuddle with each other or chase each other around. One lays on a box in the pen so the others don’t find her. It gives her a break from the others who chase her. The water on the pond shimmers when the sun hits it. People work outside, the sweat glistening on their brows. It’s another busy day on the farm, and there is much to be done in preparation for winter.

 Dusk rolls around on this very warm day, and it starts to cool off. The bugs all stop buzzing and everything is getting sleepy. When the sun sets, a glorious mixture of pinks, purples, and oranges emerges, creating a picture-perfect sunset. The obnoxious mosquitos come out to play, biting every warm blooded creature they can find. The goats willingly return to their pen after a long day of playing and grazing. The dogs beg for their supper, then retire for the night. The tired people wrap up their work and retreat inside to settle down. It has been another busy day on the small farm and everyone is exhausted. The chickens start to roost in their barn, and the ducks huddle in a corner with their bills tucked under their wings. As the sun sets, planets start to become visible. Following them are the stars. The smell of smoke comes from the small campfire that's burning brightly in the growing darkness. People stand around the fire and roast marshmallows and hot dogs. The smell of burning sugar is apparent as well as the smell of cooking hot dogs. Everyone enjoys watching the fire change from blue, to red, then orange, and back again. There is a piece of wood that is charred and black on the outside, but on the inside it is glowing with a fiery orange.The fire has been put out and the dogs and people go inside to settle down.  Night is upon the farm.

It's a warm, breezy night in October. My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. The stars become crystal clear and quickly catch my attention. Some stars shine more brightly than others, reminding me of how stars are just like humans. Some shine more brightly than others. The Milky Way becomes clear and there are millions of stars, I can see constellations like the Big Dipper, and Orion is starting to peek up on the horizon. Satellites race across the sky, unaware of where they are going, cursed to a lifetime of going around in circles. There are few lonely clouds in the distance. The few distant clouds are illuminated by the city lights of the small town Mahtowa. I peer down at the ground from my deck;  I can't see anything. The ground is a black abyss. Looking straight ahead, I find that I can't see the green field or the thick woods. Everything has been engulfed by darkness. Even the fall colors that were so bright during the day time that they were almost impossible to overlook are black. Everything is asleep. Creatures like owls, coyotes, and weasels come out to play in the night. You can hear the coyotes in the distance. They are laughing and howling. The dog gets up and barks at the dark, protecting us from anything that might be lurking in the shadows. She can sense the tiniest noise of a field mouse running through the fallen leaves or a slight breeze in the trees. She lets out a small woof, letting the darkness know that she is a tough dog. When the coast is clear, she saunters back into the garage and goes to bed. Everything is finally asleep.

Like Walter Chrysler's wise words, I have come to realize that every hour of every day is a miracle that is perfect. That there are small treasures in everyday life that most people overlook. Despite the hard work of living on a farm, there are good things that can come from it. I like living amongst all of these animals; they have become my family. There is beauty in everything, and, once in awhile, we should stop and appreciate these beautiful things, because one day, it might be too late.