Late summer

As we work our way through another summer, grateful indeed that we have plenty of rain, yet some chances to make hay; weather warm enough to keep the pastures and crops booming along, but nothing severe, nature does it usual steady work and change sneaks up on us.  One of my duties here at the farm is closing up the chickens each night at dark, hopefully just ahead of the weasel and mink.  We have two groups, one older in the main coop and their replacements coming up fast in the small portable.  All of them have the run of the yard, and amazingly enough to any who don't know chickens, they all return to roost in their proper coop each night.  The youngsters, though, push it a bit later, requiring about a half hour extra to turn in.  A month ago I was closing up at about ten to ten, depending on how clear the sky was.  Last night, I closed the doors at nine thirty.  By Labor Day, I imagine it will about eight.  Nature gets her work done, whether or not we humans are spinning our wheels!
Jim