Filed under: December 2014 | Tags: chores, choretime, farm animals, hurry, peace, piglets
Soup is on!
December 6, 2014
Chore time for me is a great time of day. Morning chores signify the beginning of a new day. I am greeted by my animal charges as if I am an old friend. They are very happy to see me. The dogs act as if it has been weeks since we last met. The rest of the animals make a ruckus too. I used to think it was because they were happy to see me, but then I realized they were just impatient waiting for breakfast.
In the evening, the last job of the day is usually chores too. The animals all get fed again. Stalls are cleaned and general order comes to the barn. Then, after everyone has been fed and watered, a quiet peace settles over the barnyard. The cattle start looking for a place to bed down for the night. The piglets push straw into a pile with their noses and settle in under it. The hens are sitting on their roost waiting for sleep to overtake them.
In the horse barn, the horses stand quietly munching on their hay. I like to sit on a hay bale, pet the dogs and reflect on the day’s work. The dog’s eyes are almost closed as I pet their heads. They enjoy this quiet time too. The soft music that is the horses chewing, fills the air signaling that all is well. The day is done.
How many of us rush about? Jump out of bed hurrying because we got up late. Speed off to work. Spend the day jammed with work and other people’s problems. We skip lunch so we can leave on time to fly home to work on a project or attend a meeting. Finally, an hour later than we wanted. We flop down in front of a television and watch otherĀ folks having fun. We sleep fitfully fearing that we won’t hear the alarm clock…and sure enough we don’t…or we hit the snooze too many times! So tell me… why do they say that “animals are dumb”?
Filed under: October 2014 | Tags: autumn color, hurry, mums, peace of mind, relaxation, Rest, Spelt, wood
Back porch mums
October 5, 2014
In my rush to catch up on chores, get speltz planted and come up with a plan for wood cutting, I have almost missed some very pretty things. The mums around the back porch are in full bloom. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn color and the corn is fading from bright green to golden harvest brown. The animals are in great condition from the green grass. Their coats shine in the sun and in the meadows, red clover and goldenrod bloom in a blaze of color.
Even the farm looks good with it’s patchwork of fields. The green pastures never faded this year because of the rains. The hayfields are lush as they await the coming frost. The recently planted speltz fields provide a dark contrast in the neat landscape. The wood line border awash in autumn color gives the scene a final touch….and to think that I almost missed it!
My main focus this week will be on cutting wood. I want to finish that job before the weather shuts me down. I don’t mind working at it in the winter, as long as it for a coming year and not the year we are in! I have a few friends coming next week to share a days labor. I want as many logs stacked up as I can get. Five men can make a whopper pile of cut and split wood in no time!
One last job that I have a keen eye on is the job of bringing in my corn. I want to shock some for use later this winter. The rest will get picked once it dries down enough to store on the cob in my crib. Sure, there is still plenty to do to keep me busy, but today I will putter around, rest up and enjoy the sights around me…maybe I’ll even get to see a grandchild or two š®
RicelandMeadows 