Hi folks.  Starting today I will be adding one of my published stories for all to enjoy.  After today it will be posted every Saturday morning.  Many folks have asked if I could set this up so…what they asked for will take place.  Enjoy!

Alarms & Things

One item on the list of things that most folks have today, is an alarm clock to wake you up.
Back when I was young, my only alarm clock was an old rooster that crowed each morning just outside my window. Never had to change the batteries either. Only requirement needed to keep it working was a bit of feed once in a while.
Today I am very fortunate and don’t need to rely on an alarm clock, as I pretty much get up when I want. My wife and I don’t have an old rooster these days either, but living so far back in off the beaten trail as we do, we are often awakened by the birds at the crack of dawn, that gets to chattin’ back and forth just outside our bedroom window.
A modern way of waking up is a coffee maker with a timer on it. Set it before going to bed and come morning you are awakened with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, just begging to be tasted.
My son Karl, has a radio alarm clock which awakes him each morning with music. Kind of nice, even has a snooze button you can hit in case you feel like an extra ten minutes. Only thing with that, every so often one hits the button too many times and that makes for an unhappy boss when arriving for work. Might pay for folks that have that kind of alarm, to place it away from the bed.
I see today they even got an alarm for those hard of hearing. You put it under your pillow and when you want to get up, it vibrates like a huge bowl of jelly, interesting to say the least.
Another interesting clock was a Cuckoo Clock. One of the first was made in Germany.
The wooden case was decorated with carved leaves and animals. Along with that it had an automation of the bird that appears through a small trap door while the clock is striking. The bird was often made to move as the clock strikes, typically by means of an arm that lifts the back of the carving. When the bird awoke to speak it made a cuckoo sound, one for each hour. Quite ingenious I thought and really pleasant to listen to while laying in bed come morning.
Another is the old chime clock ticking away, never ending, unless forgotten to be wound, each hour on the hour sending out a clang, clang, clang, so one knew exactly what time it was, no matter what part of the house they were in.
My most favourite though of them all, while growing up on the farm, was the old Owl. Laying in bed listening to him or her “Hoo-hoo-hoo-hooooo” to friends in the forest, was a sound that seemed to captivate ones mind, taking you to places without even being there.
Second of my favourites was the cooing of the morning doves, listening to them throughout the warm summers’ day, evening, or mornings, always brought a smile to my face, along with contentment that could never be told through words.
Yes morning comes to us all, a new day with all its splendour, always the same, but always new, just begging to be explored.

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