MY MORNING By Earnest Willis When I got up this morning I turned on the computer to see if there was any email - none. I looked at my homepage to see who signed by guestbook - not one. I went to the chat area to see if any friends were in the chat rooms. It said. "You Have No Friends Online." " I do have friends, I do have friends, I do have friends" echoed in my mind. I've obviously been spending too much time on the computer in chat rooms and such. So, I stepped outside to see the new day. This is what happened: As I walk down the front of the house I talk to the birds. "Good Morning Robins". "Find any good worms today?" "It'l get better soon when it rains." They walk away a little looking sidways at me. One winks at me to thank me for the birdseed, I think. The sparrows fly out of the youpon holly as I walk by. I don't know how, but I know they appreciate the bird seed as well. I am surprised to see new acorn hulls on the sidewalk. Barbara just swept it yesterday. The squirrels have been here. There they are up by the gazebo. Just ran up the side of that red oak. Now they are back down again. What are they chattering about? "Thanks for the pecans, my friend, we get awfully tired of acorns, acorns, acorns". At least, that's what I think they said. The redbutd look as if they are about ready to pop out. It's too early. They'll get frost bitten if they come out now. Don't the trees all look sort of dreary this time of year.  I walk over to the arched bridge by the waterfall and see the pond is empty of water but full of leaves. That four inch drain pipe in the bottom was one of Barbara's better ideas. The other pond has snow melt and leaves and trash in it. The pump has antifreeze in it. I'll leave it a while before pumping it out. As I walk down to the valley a tree limb knocks my hat off. It needs to be pruned a little. They all do. I'll start that tomorrow or the next day. There are no more berries on the hackberry trees. I need to put some more bird feed out. The Austrees have turned a yellowish green, but they are okay. The orchard also needs pruning. The apple trees have shoots coming up from the bottom and the peach trees have dead limbs and are getting old. I hope the rasberrys come out of it. I transplanted some by the plumb thicket. A covey of quial fly out off the mulch pile. Wonder what's in there for them? Maybe just roosting there. They only flew a little way and landed. I love to see them land on the run. They do it with such dignity. I cross the bridge and go up by the picnic table. There's a sack and some drink cans. I wonder who was here. I like visitors, but I wish they would take their trash. The lake is dry. It goes dry every winter unless we have a big snow year. The dam is steep. Climbing it is good exercise though. On top of the dam is the road to our house. I take it back toward the house. Uh. Oh. The badger has been back. He has torn up the ground on the down side of the dam. I'll have to borrow the live trap again, catch him and let him out on Jim Green's place again. Back at the house, the birds are feeding again and I scare them away as I walk up the driveway. I go up the steps to the upper yard and walk to the mailbox. Birds and Blooms, some bills to pay, a credit card offering and an auction flier are all that's there. I smell bacon cooking. It's coming from my house. My head turns me that direction. Barbara is making breakfast. I think I'd better follow my nose. I'd better go now. I'lll have to finish telling about my morning after breakfast.