Farming in the shade

The weather is warming up gradually after the long winter. Things are greening up, and there is no sign of snow anymore. After a particularly warm day recently, we decided to take a quick trip with our kayaks. We live fairly near a river, which runs into a small lake, which empties into the big lake. We opted for putting in at the small lake, since daylight was short. The closer we got to the big lake (beyond the break in the trees in the photo below), the more ice we saw in the water. Public Service Announcement: kayaking in ice water is decidedly cold on the bottom. One of us forgot to take along the foam cushion she usually sits on. There was much joking about the Titanic. Not that this topic is joke-worthy; we just didn't want to end up with the same fate. As I am getting older, I find I very seldom try new things. Partly because doing the same things over and over is easier, and partly because I fear by trying new things I might get hurt or fail in some way. O...

If you had told me a year ago what we would face in 2013, I might not have believed you. Here are a few highlights and lowlights, in no particular order. The barn . It stills needs the inside finished off, but we got it up and closed in. The wind storm . We still have a few trees along the road, but three of the four ancient maples that shaded our house are gone. Family loss. We lost a dear brother in law to cancer, and have struggled with change in some family relationships. A flood . A spring filled with rain caused us to plant some crops late, and not plant others at all. The end of homeschooling . We finally graduated the last of our children, which left me wondering what I want to be when I grow up. A fire . We lost a skid steer (a.k.a. bobcat), but we didn't lose a barn, or any animals. A new camera. I'm not at all good with it, treating it like it's a slightly heavier point and shoot. Our daughter is into photography, but she has...

The oppressive heat of the past few weeks has finally broken. Tonight at dusk I head outside, wondering how long it will take The Farmer to finish planting. I see bats swooping for their supper. I hear individual insect sounds blend together into one distant drone. I feel an old black cat rubbing her friendship against my ankles. As I savor the summer nightfall, the tractor pulls out of the field and heads for the shed. One alfalfa field planted. Tomorrow is another day. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." --Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV