Four degrees above zero but the cars and pickups are rolling in It's a hardy bunch, these farm folks! Not to be dissuaded by some bitter cold Plenty of smiles at the check in desk plenty of 'Good to see you' words being spoken as the coat room fills to overflowing The president gets [...]
A distant rumble Darkening sky The birds fluttering for a haven Big drops splash here and there Let the big show begin! Now thunder rolling Lightning cracking, sizzling The clouds unload, raindrops pounding Leaves doing a panic dance Puddles forming gutters gurgling A car splashes past Wipers pounding back and forth in vain The [...]
The robins and the doves have one thing on their minds: building the perfect nest NOW! Twigs and straws pieces of grass and weeds carried in beaks announce a spot has been chosen selected in very particular places Fascinating the design, the process that each species seems to know that temporary home so necessary [...]
As sure as the snow flies in northern climes The snow birds flap their wings or mount their wheels to head to southern beaches Their money flows with them restaurants and shops hotels and motels and rentals lift their signs: "No Vacancy!" The cold weary folks shed their parkas insulated caps, boots and mittens [...]
It is written that we came from the soil dust of some nature shaped into the form of man No wonder, then, there's something about soil, that draws us farmers and gardeners who use their hands to touch, ponder, the mysteries of soil The seasons are a wonder too stretching our imaginations challenging our [...]
Chilled, from deep winter's freeze the winds whosh and whistle sending leaves and debris hip scotching along barren branches twist and turn remembering Chubby Checker! (C'mon everybody, let's do the twist!) Wrapped against the chill I freeze out in the wind and melt in sun drenched lee spots Cold, hot! Cold, hot! It's springtime [...]
A pinhole or a crack is all the howling wind needs to send snowflakes sailing in Blizzard Whiteout Hour after hour Snow swirls and drifts sculptured piles arise packed hard and firm challenging man and beast In grandma's day the drifts topped fences so the cattle walked over them as did she and her [...]
From the garden the orchard and the fields, fall is the pouring season! Nature pours forth rewards for labor and energy for thinking and planning and so we see The tomatoes and potatoes the squash and onions gathered into baskets and coming in The kitchen is alive with processing, changing summer's bounty into keepers [...]
As a runner I've been there: that last 500 feet The finish line to cross Yes, the race matters all of the way The hills, the straight aways the curves we can't see around yet there's something about that last 500 feet and the line we need to cross A year of planting, tending, [...]
No, I'm not slipping away! I just do my best to tune in... to 'think like corn' along the way. So there's a 'pop' in early summer when corn pops its spike up through earth to greet the sun and me. One day the field is just rich and black and next day a [...]