Filed under: October 2022 | Tags: boyhood home, life work, Small Farming, solid, time
October 4, 2022
Time is a fickle fleeting thing! I wore this jacket in my junior and senior years in high school. So, 1975 through 1977 when I was apparently much smaller. I even wore a hooded sweatshirt underneath it.
I pinned all my medals on it many years ago, just to keep from losing them. I have wanted to be a farmer all of my life. This jacket was a declaration of my path forward. I can honestly say, that I have been engaged in some for of agriculture all of my life.
I never strayed far from my boyhood home. I still am a mere 12 miles from there. I moved to Jefferson in 1978 and found my spot in the world. I have no desire to ever move and my roots grow deeper and hold stronger with every breath I take.
It is comforting for me to know that I am in the place that I was born to be. I still get my hands in the dirt every day. I can hold in my hands and my heart, the life I was meant to live. Fleeting though it may be, I am enjoying the ride!
My shirt a little bigger, my heart a little fuller I am still declaring what I want to be when I grow up. I even am still comfortable with where! I do wonder where time has gone, but as they say, “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage”. I am thankful for every mile and for every year. It is my prayer that I have many more of both.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: children, draft horses, family time, grandchildren, life, time, time marches on
February 27, 2017
Our maple syrup season for 2017 is over. This photo, I snapped of my youngest son as he drove the horses back into the woods for another load of maple sap. It is a bittersweet photo for me. He is driving my horses every bit as well as I can. I asked him if he needed any help hitching up. He smiled and said, “Dad after you teaching me for 30 years… I got it.”
He was right. He had everything perfect. The horses can sense when someone is not confident when handling the lines. They were real sure that Jake was in charge. He is quiet with them and uses a soft hand, but they feel his inner strength as he drives them. His thoughts are telegraphed through the leather lines to the bits in their mouths. This gentle guidance along with an encouraging voice, makes for great teamwork of man and horses.
I held my little grandson’s hand as we watched dad go off down the sap road. I was proud and humbled at the same time. The little hand inside of mine made me think back that 30 years ago. I could see my son looking up, asking questions and learning things that I didn’t even know I was teaching. My heart was full to almost overflowing, then my grandson said, “I’m gonna drive your horses some day Pa-Pa” My heart overflowed a little bit as a tear spilled down my cheek.
My how fast time does fly!
Our hens and Mr. Tom
August 30, 2014
Being cooped up isn’t always bad. Our new hens are being penned up so they learn their new home. It is a safe place that protects them from weather and wildlife that might not be so kind to them. Very soon they will be allowed to free range. They will stay out much of the day, returning home whenever they want, but especially at night to roost.
There have been times when I was cooped up, not allowed to roam freely. One time that comes to mind is boot camp in Fort Knox Kentucky. 😮 Even that was good for me…or so my Drill Instructor said.
The kids are almost all back in school. They are cooped up during the day. They too come home to roost…at least for a little while longer. One day they will roam about freely. The hope is that they learned to make their way, but didn’t forget where the roost is located.
At work, off the farm, some days I too feel penned up. I guess it is to make being home that much better. Work provides the means to live. So, work to live…don’t live to work. Spend time at the roost with the ones you love and enjoy your time together. You can always make more “money”…but “time” is gone forever!
RicelandMeadows 