In My Garden~

My grandmother signed her letters with X’s and O’s and taught me to put fronds of dill in my tuna fish sandwich. Zinnias were her favorite flower, and that is why I will always have them bloom. My grandfather loved a fresh radish straight out of the ground. He also loved a good potato, but …

The Heat and Hustle of Mid-Summer~

107 degrees with 30% humidity. Blaaah!  I thought maybe that was a little farfetched on the thermometer until I drove the pickup down the road for twelve miles and it hovered around 106 degrees the entire time.  The century mark has reared its ugly head for the past few days.  Although I can’t complain too …

A July Night~

I watched a doe and her fawn slowly walk out of the grass on to the alfalfa.  In the dusk I can just make out their outlines.  As I drive by them in the rake tractor, they continue on their way looking for a place to bed down for the night.  They are not threatened …

What is the Worth?~

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Working in agriculture is hard. Making a living off the land is hard. The work is always hard. Being self-sufficient is hard. Being self-reliant is hard. Getting ahead is hard. Growing your business is hard. Working crazy long hard hours is hard. Taking the losses is …

Familiarity

🎶 🎶Country roads, take me home To the place where I belong 🎶 🎶 I made a quick trip back to my ol' stomping grounds to say a long goodbye. It's weird to come back home. Familiarity greets me at every turn, but it's oddly distant. It's the kind of intimate familiarity that has been …

The Making of a Crew~

“Time to get up girls.  The horses are saddled. You need to get up and get dressed.  We’re having cereal for breakfast. We need to get going we have to gather bulls and doctor heifers.” “Mom what horse am I riding?’ “Your riding Shorty, Paige.” Tears started to well up in her eyes. “Hey, we …