Oft times unnoticed a switch is thrown: "ON!" and things begin to happen... Robins are back buds are swelling and the grass begins to grow faster, and faster, and faster! Winter's brown is pushed aside and green grows the earth the carpet is alive! the grass drinks in the sun and suckles on the soil [...]
Early springtime winter holding on squeezing us tightly, nightly sunup showing a light white blanket glistening with sparkles in the morning sun frosted, our cake Scarce known our cake is what we walk on blindly calling it 'dirt' but what a glorious cake it is! Teaming with life unseen to the naked eye a billion [...]
Retired from the Presidency Champaign County Farm Bureau but, really, getting 'a new set of tires'! Still doing, still involved, still thinking! Retired from Parkland no longer a board member no longer chairman but, here, a different automobile still self propelled, still moving still doing, still thinking Poking, here and there, with ideas Retired from [...]
Honestly Abe, we need you back! If your are indeed walking out there at midnight* just for a bit we'd like you back God grace flowed through you your words, your choices and a lot of fine things have happened The Land Grant Colleges you birthed have sown abundance on Illinois World leaders are planted [...]
Illinois is an adventure we can have 'snow globe' whiteout blizzard, skiff and we even do one more: spittin' snow! I know! Hard to believe! But if you had my window my office, you'd see a combination that's new No, not sleet that's ice ah, come on spring! Meanwhile we start a snowstorm with something [...]
First...Americans an interesting lot trained the boys to be hunters, and warriors Hunter meant meat the women did farming childbearing, rearing, cooking clothing, blanketing, beading corn, beans and squash, the staples Then first white folk Europeans, of differing ilk Importantly, crucially, people of The Book a different concept therein First among equals Indeed, there were [...]
I suspect each one of us have our own windows on the world that would be our world the one we pour ourselves into checking watching thinking three come to my mind at once first being, when my feet hit the floor after a night of rest Three quick steps to the window looking across [...]
The world is held in tension Created that way Sustained that way Pause and reflect on rain with me Picture a prairie farm Mid summer day Hot Soil dry and hot Thirsty plants Dark clouds rolling in Thunder Farmer and his wife looking up Praying Big raindrops splash their faces Tears of joy mix with [...]
Secrets abound on a farm hidden and waiting unendiing discoveries inside soil and seeds are diamonds precious What comes naturally is to simply walk on soil unknowing, uncaring its value yet life depends upon it no one could live without it A particle of this and that chemistry and physics and mystery, no mysteries! Bacteria, [...]
Long day Good day The sun came up in all its Glory Resplendent! Awesome! Power full! No way to stop it, it just keeps rising! It's arc complete, work done for the day it sank out west slowly, slowly, then ever more quickly and gone... The evening quieted the winds so more and more softly, [...]