“I always like it when I can turn the cattle out on pasture every spring,” said George Mackenzie as he settled in at Mabel’s Grill the other morning.
    “The cattle get their own feed, and spread their own manure,” he continued.
    “Yeah, same with my sheep,” said Cliff Murray. “After weeks of lambing, you can look forward to months of them feeding themselves and you just have to move a fence to give them fresh pasture regularly.”
    “I can see where you guys are going,” grunted Dave Winston as he settled in and grabbed a menu. “You’re trying to get under my skin because I have pigs that stay inside 12 months a year.”
    “Oh yeah, I never thought of that,” George said innocently, nudging Cliff under the table.
    “But let me remind you, you’ll soon be out in the hot sun making hay, and I’ll be inside, cooler – mostly.”
    “Yeah, I had enough of the great outdoors last year with so many meals outside on the tables in the parking lot,” said Molly Whiteside as she came to take their orders. “Thank goodness the pandemic is over!”
    “I see the Premier has persuaded at least one voter that COVID-19 is a thing of the past – at least until after the provincial election,” said Cliff.
    “Hey, hey, remember Mabel’s rule about not discussing politics in here,” warned Molly.
    “On my way into town this morning, I saw a couple of turkey vultures circling up high in the air,” said Dave after Molly had taken their orders and headed back to the kitchen. “So graceful.”
    “Yeah, but have you ever seen them up close feeding on something dead?” said George. “Ugly!” 
    “Ugly, but useful,” said Cliff. “Sort of the way my city relatives think about us farmers.”
    “Oh come on now,” said George. “We’re hardly like vultures!”
    “Hey, they’re practical, and we’re practical,” defended Cliff. “They eat dead things, which disgust people living comfortable lives in the city, but you were just talking about manure, and city people aren’t too excited about that either.”
    “And vultures eat dead things but we only raise animals to have them killed – even if we don’t have to actually see the deed,” Dave said
    “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” grumbled George.
    “Speaking of eating dead animals, here’s your eggs with bacon,” announced Molly, as she set a plate down in front of George. “And your  eggs and sausages,” she set a plate in front of Cliff. “And your pancakes with ham,” she told Dave.
    “Okay, okay, I get your point,” grumbled George, “but these things didn’t lie around in fields for weeks.”
    “And plenty of people are eating bacon and ham and sausages in cities this morning, too,” said Dave.
    “Mostly because they never think about how your pigs became bacon or ham or sausage,” Molly shot back. Seeing the smirk on George and Cliff’s faces she dropped one more comment as she headed to the kitchen. “And if more people thought of where their lamb chops and steaks came from we might have more vegetarians.” 
    “I gotta admit, sometimes I think it’s a good job city people don’t know more about nature,” said Cliff. “I mean, Americans are so proud of their American eagle but I wonder how many of them realize it eats fish out of the river.”
    “Kind of takes the whole shine of the emblem,” George admitted.
    “Well I’ve got one even better,” said Dave. “I’ve  got a neighbour with a chicken barn who piles manure outside in winter between flocks.When the river is frozen, the eagles come in and roost in this old dead ash tree nearby and hunt through the manure for chickens that have died and got buried. I wonder what proud Americans would think of that!”.
    “Gee. I really needed all this talk about dead things just as I tried to enjoy my ham and eggs,” said. George.◊