24 Hours at the Farm

My mom and I went down to the farm a couple of weeks ago and it was a gorgeous clear day, so we hopped in the ranger to go for a ride.

Trooper loves hanging out in the back!

The fields were so green thanks to a newly planted crop of wheat.

Lime green wheat fields are always such a pleasant surprise in the middle of a dead winter scene. They’re often planted in winter and stand out on the landscape like a neon sign!

Our farm is in a fairly dry part of the state, so in order to have successful crops we have to irrigate. Our fields are circular and these irrigation systems rotate around from a central irrigation well.

I love it when they are turned on!

Our soil is very, very red and chock full of iron, so it stains anything it comes in contact with. You should see the inside of our dishwasher! Rust red. Any place the sprinkler has touched is red. Any time Trooper gets his red muddy paws in our bed, it leaves a rust colored stain.

So he needs boots. 🙂 The rampant sticker burs are the real reason for getting these–that, and the fact that I need a good laugh…

Seriously, mom?!

Despite the fact it was a sunny, cloudless day when we arrived, the next morning we awoke to a dense fog. This is Texas after all, and as they say, Don’t like the weather? Wait 24 hours. 

It was an eerie scene like something out of a horror movie.

But still beautiful in its own way. Rain, fog, sun, clouds, no clouds–whatever the situation, every day out in nature is different. The same landscape can be portrayed in a thousand different hues, and each unique combination has its own virtues. As a farmer, both rain and sun are welcome…preferably not too much of one or too little of the other. Both are needed in the right balance and order to make a good crop!

And even though sometimes I only get 24 hours down on the farm, it’s always refreshing.