Filed under: August 2019 | Tags: back porch sitting, County Fair, peace, summer, waning summer days
August 11, 2019
What a summer it has been so far. The crazy wet June, the hot July with it’s flash floods and now the passing of August. Our county fair ends today. It is another one of the benchmarks of summer. Next is the buying of school clothes and the starting of school after the summer break. Geese are starting to gather in the fields and autumn is knocking on the door.
We had some wonderful weather in these last two weeks. Our first cutting hay was all made and stored for winter. I completed cleaning up a log landing area and even managed to attend a farm machinery consignment auction. We still have some summer left and I hope to use up those days with fun, family and farm stuff!
The horses and I will begin spreading the summer compost next week. We will spread on ground that will be plowed and readied for our fall planted speltz crop. Rain is in the forecast for next week, so as always we will work around the weather. Nothing new for farmers, especially this year!
Last evening, I sat and watched the farm from the back porch. The animals were all grazing. The evening was cool, with a slight breeze. The flies and bugs were not biting. The barn swallows flitted about, diving after unseen insects and zipping at the surface of the pond drinking water. There was stillness in the air and a hush on the farm. It was as if everything had paused to enjoy the summer evening. I was glad to have been part of that scene, as the fleeting days of summer passed.
Filed under: August 2015 | Tags: Border Collie, childhood, County Fair, school, summer fun
Spray me with the hose mom
August 6, 2015
Connie and Cinch play an almost daily game as she waters her flowers. Cinch loves to “chew” water from a hose. I caught the two of them playing in the water the other day and snapped this picture. He jumps at the water and gobbles up huge mouthfuls. He is funny to watch and I admit, I have to play with him too as I fill water troughs around the farm.
Summer is flying by these days. It’s hard to believe that the county fair is next week and school for children starts soon after. When I was a boy in 4-H, the county fair was the highlight of our summer. It was where we met up with old friends, rode rides and ate “food” from the midway. It was also a time for great responsibility. We had to care for, then show our animals. Unlike the daily care at home, we tended our stock 24/7, making sure city folks saw as little manure as possible.
We worked hard, lost sleep and fell in love, always with a farm animal nearby. I never out grew it. I am the most comfortable around animals. They are my passion. They put me at ease…no matter if I am working hard or tired from lack of sleep. As for falling in love, it still works! I fell in love for the last time, thirty years ago, but I continue to fall in love with new babies, boy and girlfriends of grandchildren and people who God puts into my life, always with a farm animal nearby.
The end of the fair week was bittersweet. It signaled the end of summer. It meant saying goodbye to friends from other school districts until next year. It meant saying goodbye to an animal friend raised and shown for it’s carcass. It meant school was just around the corner and the only thing to look forward to was mowing the yard. So, this time of year meant cramming as much summer fun into each day as possible. I still live by this creed. So, if you find me squirting water at my dog, you’ll know that I am just reliving the wonderful days of my childhood!
RicelandMeadows 