Harvest Home...

It's September and to me, it's officially autumn. I had a nice morning out walking in the nearby pastures to gather some grasses, flowers and things for my front porch. I always look at the fall silk flowers and leaves at the stores, thinking, "This year I'm going to get some," and every year I don't. I'm such a naturalist at heart, I just can't seem to put up something that's an imitation. My eldest son brought me this roll of very old barbed wire he found and I always get it out to use as a wreath about this time of year.



My front porch still hosts three pots of thriving geraniums that I simply will not give up until I get tired of bringing them in and out of the house on nights that it freezes. So far, no fall freeze, but I have a feeling it's not far off. Our warm growing season is so short here in the northern prairies that I cling to it for as long as possible.

A fall crispness is in the air now and I enjoy the fact that I have to wear a hoodie when I go outside for a walk or to do little chores around the place. The dogs seem more frisky, the cows and calves look for every bit of green grass or weeds that they can find. I think they sense the end of the green things growing too. Just a couple days ago we were taking some cow/calf pairs from a dry range pasture to a mowed hayfield, and along the way we came to a draw (or dry creek) where the grass was green, thick, and tall and we just sat on our horses and let the animals eat awhile. We allowed the horses a nice grazing time too.

Last evening I took a walk through some of the shelter belts around the house and walked down near the old tree fort where our kids used to play and spend a lot of time. Oh, those were fun times. Up in the Big Cottonwood near the fort was a Great Horned Owl. It's time we start bumping into one another once again on these walks. I've missed seeing the owls. Each morning we see flocks of yellow-headed blackbirds and red-winged blackbirds marching across the lawn. The birds are definitely flocking together which is a good sign that it won't be long until they are flying south for the winter. The flowers that seem to be doing best in my gardens these days are the yellow coneflowers and the sunflowers. Yellow seems to be the "in" color right now -- even on the prairie. The white heath asters are coming on and I found rose hips and berries setting on the buck brush near the septic pond (some things do like that yukky water!)

Even the foods we eat are showing signs of autumn. Today's dinner: pork roast, roasted herbed potatoes and veggies, and the best cranberry-apple crisp EVER (with a big glop of whipped cream) and hot coffee. Oh, and there's a nice new candle on the kitchen table that we light every day. Fall always brings out the candles in our home.

Come, ye thankful people come
Raise the song of harvest home:
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied:
Come to God's own temple, come
Raise the song of harvest home.

~Come, Ye Thankful People
(a hymn)