I stand on the deck at 6 AM as pink tinges the clouds near the horizon in the East. Between the clouds and me there are duelling roosters about a kilometre away. Cows in the paddock next door are quietly munching, sometimes blundering through the lupins, gently mooing or coughing.

To the South I can hear magpies, and cows just past the neighbour’s place, eating quietly.

To the West is the sea and a few gulls. Closer to the house I can hear my quail, one of them at least, who is calling Look At Me! Look At Me!

In the North I can hear some distant geese.

And all around the occasional singing of frogs.

I love waking up in this place.

Salmon clouds on the horizon.