Its Here!

Finally there is snow in the air. Sadly, weather forecasters are predicting double digits and a green Christmas. Here's hoping they will be wrong. I'll take this and enjoy every minute of it. The brightness outside beats the dull, gloomy days of the past few weeks. One Christmas songs says, "Its beginning to look at lot like Christmas...". I'm saying, "Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow."

Dirt in Your Shoes

There are many great photos with sayings attached on websites from every country in the world. One could post a new shot each day and still find an endless supply the following day. Far too many to chose from, but, once in a while one pops up that truly describes who a person really is. The woman in the picture could be yours truly. Out in the field checking the crops is where I can be found. While driving to work, checks are made on my neighbours crops. It's just one continuous crop tour. Not only are field crops on the look at list- apple orchards, vegetable gardens and flower beds catch the two eyes that should be looking straight ahead and minding the rules of the road. Then the wandering eyes of this country bumpkin will catch the red paint of a Massey-Ferguson or the blue on a new F150. No worries, "Cautious and Slow " are  my middle names when driving. There's just too much to observe.
Dirt in the Shoes- Guilty as charged. Born with dirt in the shoes, farm raised and still carrying that little bit around every day. The shoe dirt attaches itself to the insides and outsides of any shoes worn on the two feet I walk around on. Will I ever endeavour to remove the dirt? Not a chance!

October Ritual

Local reporter with the Ontario Farmer, Sharon Grose, finally caught up with my son. So proud of my son and all his accomplishments. He has been a farmer since day one and all his hard work and determination is paying off.
New young farmers need all the help and encouragement they can get. Debt loads are high and most work off the farm to be able to continue farming.
Praying for good weather, excellent yields, high prices and times of rest.

Heavenly Sight

 I witnessed this beautiful sunset a few days after the blood moon was scheduled  to appear in my region. The sky clouded over just before the moon was to be at its best. Disappointed? Yes I was but when sunsets like this appear on the horizon, everything else just doesn't seem to matter.
Most nights I am blessed with spectacular views. God's paintbrush leaves beautiful strokes across the evening sky.

Best Substitute

Since moving to the farm, I have been able to witness some of the most amazing sunsets. This particular one caught me completely off guard. I was outside cleaning up windfall apples , turned to walk to the shed to get a shovel and was greeted by this stunning sight. My mouth  dropped open and stayed that way for longer than I care to admit. The first thought that came to mind was, 'get the camera'. Photos never measure up to what the naked eye can see, but they are the best substitute available. Take a few moments to enjoy every detail of this photo.

That time of year again

Hard to believe its that time of year again. Over the last few weeks the soybeans have turned from green to yellow to brown. Combines should be rolling, weather permitting, within the next  two weeks. (My prediction). Talking with a local farmer recently, while he was combining wheat, I asked him if he felt a sense of accomplishment when he finished combining. He said yes and he was even happier when the price was good!!!! Hats off to all my farming friends who will be harvesting beans. Prayers for ideal weather, better than average yields and large cheques in the mail. More important than all these, practice farm safety first.

Farm Facts

This past Saturday, I was blessed to enjoy the company of my daughter and son in law on a slow moving rig. Not this particular outfit but one that runs on water. Last fall I won a cruise on the Grand River which runs out of the Caledonia area.
During the cruise, the captain commented on the history of the area. Believe it or not, one farm that runs along the banks of  the river housed a 15 foot rooster. This is no Chicken Little joke!  One of the owners of the property  recently celebrated his 50th birthday. The family presented him with the statue of the enormous fowl. He liked it so much, he bought it.
This family is the largest poultry producer in Canada. They have 136,000 layer hens, sell 1.5 Million turkeys to Zehrs over the Christmas/New Years time period and have a 3 year contract with McDonalds in Southern Ontario to supply meat for Chicken McNuggets. If my memory is correct the family houses 5 Million broilers. They have farms all over Ontario and are rumoured to be building a 7 storey barn in the Paris area.
Hard to get your head around these facts? They are really impressive!

Defining Labour Day

Labour Day is not a holiday for most farmers. Tractors towing balers have been travelling up and down my road throughout the day today. Perfect weather for baling but it sure is hot. Call me weird, as most do, but I love watching the large round bales coming out of the back of the baler. It must be the sense of accomplishment I feel. No matter what you are doing on this Labour Day, please remember to thank farmers for their labour of love-farming!!!!

Fair Weather Day

The combines were out in full force today, slowly moving up and down the fields. Along with harvesting wheat, a few tractors were out raking the straw to get it ready for baling. Four wagon loads of small square bales left my place after I got home from work.
I am thankful for the beautiful golden wheat as I drive throughout the countryside. A sign of harvest, a sense of accomplishment and provision from the Lord.

Sunday Stroll

Another overcast day with periods of sun but no combining. Weather forecast for Monday looks promising at this point. Farmers are so weather dependent and some of the most hopeful people I know.
As I walked the fields today(without the camera) I took time to stop and separate some wheat kernels from their casings. Can't get  more local and fresh than that. Support your local farmer.

Living the Dream

A long walk around the partially combined field, 57 pictures on the camera and now no excuse to put blogging aside. Its that time of year again when farmers are patiently weather watching and anxiously waiting to get the combine into the wheat fields to harvest. The crop is good in quality and quantity with better than expected moisture content. Thank everyone involved in providing the daily bread for your table.

Winter Project

 

Over Christmas while house sitting, I had time to piece together this puzzle. Puzzle building is like an addiction. Once you connect the first two pieces together you can't stop. With me, it's always just one more piece and then I'll do something else. A lot of the time I look at the clock and its hours later since I said, "Just one more piece or I know where that goes". The thrill of finding the next piece that fits, keeps me going. Starting with the frame is easy. Anything that is easy to assemble is my next step. I'm not sure why and I should really change my strategy when it comes to puzzle building but I don't. I always leave the large, same colour pieces like sky, trees, grass or water to the end. It makes for a real tedious task. No complaints, though, when the last piece is fitted, I step back and look at the finished product and smile.