I ain’t sayin’ I was up early but when I opened the chicken coop door this morning the sky was just going pink and rather than the usual tumultuous cluckery and hen-pecking rush, I heard only a few mumbles within. I went for a long walk to scout for firewood, saw deer, turkey, pheasants, wood ducks, and a great horned owl. Revisited my pop-up deer blind (failed to retrieve it before the first big snow) and found it perforated by mice. Upon my return the chickens were out and about.