Summer Awakening

It is a glorious summer morn at the Chicken Ranch. The breeze is cool as it pushes the leaves in a swaying summer dance to celebrate a new day. The sun is beaming in a sea of blue. Only  a few clouds are present, and they are long and ribbon-like, not unlike banners that are advertising the coming of a grand summer Saturday. Summer, although not yet officially here, is in full swing.

The garden is full of green plants in various stages of growth. Rows and hills, trellises and patches, and the occasional out of place ( yet just as welcome) volunteer plants, all fill the garden with a bright future of summer produce.

The flower gardens are a kaleidoscope of colors. Annuals and perennials of every denomination are cloaked in their very best array. From the shade gardens to the sun lit beds, every flower is bursting with  their hues of yellows, reds, purples, blues, and everything in between. The competition is fierce, as each plant tries to out-do the other, and all of us here are the winners. So are the bees.

Bumble bees and honey bees waltz from flower to flower in a gentle buzz of activity. They poke their heads in to say hello, and then travel on. Their methodical, almost choreographed dance from flower to flower is in complete contrast to the humming birds that dart in out of nowhere, and are gone before you blink an eye. All the birds and bees are feeding themselves, and the flowers as well. What a grand plan nature has for its inhabitants. It is a win-win for all.

The fields around us are greening with corn and beans, in perfect rows as far as the eye can see.Most of the field work is done and now its just a matter of watching it grow. " Knee high by the 4th of July" and you've got a good corn yield potential. Much of the corn this year will be way past that height by the time we celebrate our American independence. The livestock are happy about these summer days as well.

I see some pastures every morning with this years calves standing, or rough-housing, along side their mommas. Cows standing and grazing in the lush green grass, their tails rhythmically swishing at the flies, calves butting heads in playful exercise; this is a picture of peacefulness that I never grow tired of watching."The cattle on a thousand hillsides are mine", said our Lord. I wonder if sometimes He has to take a break from the chaos and mans inhumanity to each other that he witnesses daily, and just goes countryside to watch the sheep, horses and cattle graze in quiet contentment. What a wonderful view he must have of those thousand hillsides.

It is a season of business here, with all the usual summertime activities, but in the early mornings, while the earth is just starting to awaken, summer is a season of comfort and peace. And now,just like the other inhabitants of the Chicken Ranch, its time for me to begin my day. There's work to be done this morn, and perhaps a little fun in the evening to come.

Whichever one I'm engaged in, I'll be happy. After all, it's a beautiful day to be alive. It's summertime.