Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Living in Perfect Harmony.....or is it just Detente??

Anyone who has lived on a farm knows that it is usually a struggle for harmony. There are periods of time when predators lurk. There are plagues of insects to manage. Every day presents a challenge to keep nature at bay and maintain peace and harmony amongst the living creatures. Every once in a while, though, you have a day when all seems to be right with the world.... This summer has been challenging. We have been under attack by foxes, possums, hawks, tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles and of late, drought. But amazingly, through all of this we seem to have reached a period of peaceful harmony....or at least detente. The farm animals all seem to be happy. The horses have worked out their dominance issues and are all healthy. The goats(always the happiest animals) are growing and . The Guinea hens and our four remaining chickens are holding their own. The ducks are happy with their newly repaired pond and new duck condo. The garden is exploding with produce and the apple trees are brimming with fruit.

All in all it has been an amazingly good summer. These are the days that we live for....the incredible peaceful moments when all seems to be right with the world. We smile, thank God, and hope that it lasts. But then, it never does.....afterall, this is a farm. And we are surrounded by nature....and Mother Nature always has the last laugh. The best we can hope for is to be able to laugh along with her.