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Life is short, and summer is short, and August is now upon us. Market season is in full swing, with late summer's fruit vendors on the scene. The farmer's wife is kept busy canning, picking green beans in the cool morning air, surrounded by tall trees and wide-open grassy fields. The smooth greenness and clear mountains soothe her spirit. Canning may be hot tiring work, but the thought of opening jars in the wintertime, serving bowls of hearty soup to the family makes it all

The world is hazy, the mountains almost obscured by leftover smoke. We wait for the rain, which is supposed to fall today and scrub the dry and thirsty world clean... we hope it'll wait until we've arrived home from today's market! Overenthusiastic pumpkin vines threaten to take over the whole garden, just as heifer calves threaten to take over every available space. We love the slobbering knock-kneed things, as do the dogs, clambering into the hutches to lick their faces in

Life on the farm has reached a slow boil. Temperatures hang around 90 during the day and cool only slightly during the night. In a way it is a welcome change from the cool dry weather we have had most of the spring! Farmer and Young Farmer work all day in the blazing sun, for it is hay-making time. They and the horses drink great amounts of water and eat sparingly, for it is too warm to eat. The cows mind the heat a little, but not much. They make the most of their woods by l

Summertime... and the living is easy.... Birds are singing and the grass is high... The cows have been on grass since mid-April, and have scorned all lesser food since. Young farmer moves the fences weekly, as he had better, or a small rebellion would rise! It seems to be heading towards a hot dry summer, which the bees love (so far) and the cows love. Farmer worries about the crops seeded this year and hopes for rain to start them off well. The good thing about dry summers i

Christmas Eve... what a beautiful day. One feels it would be a beautiful day even if the weather were stormy, with the snow and sleet we had earlier instead of this clear blue sky and soft winter sunshine. One feels the spirit of Christmas and wonders if animals really do talk on Christmas Eve at midnight and if so, what do they say? Farmer girl doesn't wonder; she feels her cows really do talk to her all through the year. What would Butternut say if she saw someone nestling

Des morgenstund hat gold in mund! From a centuries-old German poem. Translated that comes to "the morning-hour is golden", meaning work...

Life on the farm has reached a slow boil. Temperatures hang around 90 during the day and cool only slightly during the night. In a way it...

Spring again.... and all the birds return.... Nests have been made and all is well on the farm. The farmer mows hay this week in spite of...

Curiosity killed a cow! Cows are dreadfully curious creatures. Farmer girl knows that; she has known it for years. Everyone knows it! It...

Spring seems slow in coming this year. Grass is slowly greening and will soon be growing in leaps and bounds, but for now everything...

Yesterday's weather was a spring melange: a mesclun mix of cold and warm, spring weather and winter. March came in like a lion as we...

One finds the hens are not as hungry these days. There is a distinct lack of sincere appreciation for their usual breakfast of ground...

Spring has come to the farm: it came with trumpets and a marching band. Lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and the farmer’s wife sat in...

It is February, and the farm sits encased in ice and snow. The cows peer doubtfully out the big barn doors, taking occasional strolls out...

Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness! We have had a mellow misty August, delightfully cool after hot sticky July. There’s about a...

Farmer girl may have won the first few skirmishes, but to Mama cat go the honors of war. Much too large for Mama to carry by now, the...

Ah, July! Hot steamy days, followed by majestic frightening thunderstorms sweeping down the valley, and cool restful nights. The pasture...

Oh, to be in mountain-land, now that June is here! June has been a relatively tranquil month on the farm (so far). We are blessed with...

The grass is as high as a cowgirl's eye... Well, really, it is only to her knees, but as it has been raining, the grass is soaked and the...

Spring is a season of newness! The mountain burst forth into greenness this week; a bright new green. We see it mistily, for we have had...