Goat Milking Line at Dawn in Canadian Ranch Corral

Pale morning light spills across the concrete floor of a Canadian ranch corral, illuminating a long row of metal stanchion locks and feeding bunks. Three goats stand in line, their heads secured, while galvanized steel pails hang beneath their bellies. Dried hoof prints mark the rubber matting in a pattern of repeated movement. The low sun strikes the horizon haze outside the open side of the structure, casting long, sharp shadows from the metal bars. The sky above is a perfect, clear blue, against the industrial gray of the equipment. one drop of milk rests on the rim of the nearest pail, catching the first golden ray of the day.