I think my wife is right — I think mucking out horse stalls is actually a pretty relaxing way to end the day, provided you aren’t so cold that you can’t hang onto the manure fork for the shivering. This is the life I look forward to for the next 30, 40, 50 years — a long day at the office, running queries and performing data analysis, crunching the numbers into a usable format, generating reports that make sense to those who are not so skilled at geek-speak, coming home to my farm, changing shoes (and possibly clothes), and heading out to the barn to help pick out the stalls before dark. Frankly, I can’t wait. The solitude and the quiet of the barn after the noise and busyness of the office is amply refreshing and richly rewarding. It allows me time to simply think (already tonight, I came up with two new ideas for short stories), to process my day, to talk it over with my wife, and to spend time with our animals. I think it is one of God’s special blessings to those who are willing to take on the responsibility, to slow down long enough to breathe deeply of the fresh air, to enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed. People who run non-stop all the time don’t know the joy they are missing with the slower pace of life. Everything has to be done now, or yesterday, or else everything will fall apart around them. But there is great joy in caring for an animal, multiplied for each one in your charge. Sure, there are sacrifices to be made, money spent on food and vet bills, time devoted to putting up fences, giving baths, dropping feed, and a host of other obligations. But the rewards are worth it, seeing the look in their eyes as these wonderful creatures place their trust, their respect, their loyalty all on you. It’s all worth shoveling a little–

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