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.

End of Old Ben

Jack rode his horse down to the creek
To get himself and his mount a drink.
While sipping from his hand
And scanning the land,
He noticed a cowboy on the opposite bank.

On bended knee with his hat on his arm
The old cowboy stared at fresh dirt.
Jack decided to ride
To the other side
And see if the old man was hurt.

“You ok friend?” Jack quietly asked,
The old cowboy just sadly smiled.
‘We’ve come to trails end,
Me and my old friend.
We’ve been together awhile.’

The old mans mustache was gray,
And his skin was leathery brown.
There were a whole lot of years
Bound in the couple of tears
That from his eyes had trickled down.

‘Old Ben was one heck of dog.
Faithful as any mans friend.
He’d run along side
While I would ride
To the cows and back again.’

‘He was smart and strong in every way,
And he loved me and my wife.
He took on a bear
In that canyon over there,
And it’s sure he saved my life.’

‘He was old like me and feelin' poor,
But he stayed with me all the way.
He growled and he chewed
In that fur-flyin’ feud
Until the big bear loped away.’

'But one blow had opened him wide
And he fell down when that bear run.
Red colored the ground,
He never made a sound.
My old Ben was done.

'I’ve buried him near this creek you see.
Where he loved to drink and swim.
Now, I must go tell this tale
To my good wife as well.
Yeah.... we’re gonna miss him.'

As the old man mounted his horse,
"I''m sorry" was all Jack could say.
He shook the gloved hand,
Dotted with blood and sand.
Then, alone, the old man rode away.

Kevin L. Dennie 8/2012

reposted 6/5/2015