Bringing In Some Fall

I absolutely love this time of year because I live in a farming community.  When I drive out to the country I roll my windows down so I can fully enjoy all of the smells of the harvest that is going on all around me.

In this valley we have quite a few mint growers, so from the middle of July until late September

the air is filled with the wonderful smell of freshly cut mint.

We also have hay growers.  Along time ago when my husband was a custom hay stacker he taught me how to swath hay.  Yip, I ran a swather, scary huh?  I did a pretty good job most of the time, my rows were straight, unless.....the hay in front of me started moving.

When I say moving I mean, like, little baby pheasants running straight a head of me because they

were so afraid of the noise but wouldn't leave the cover of the hay.

I couldn't stand the thought of running one through the header, which cut the hay.  So I would finally stop the machine, get out and shoo the birds away.  One time when I was shooing them, I

discovered baby kittens running up the row instead of pheasants.

They were so sweet, and so were the baby birds.  Thats why it took me longer in the

fall to swath a field of hay

then the men took.  And when my hubby saw me stopped and outside the swather, he knew

there must be an animal sighting of some kind.

My father was a farmer and I was raised on a farm.  Year after year I have watched the farmers till the ground, then plant, then water.  And then the earth, water, and sun do the rest. 

It has always amazed me how this wonderful earth gives us so much beauty to look at, and food to eat each year.  She never lets us down, year after

year, good ol' mother earth gives us so much to be grateful for.

We raised our kids in the country on three acres, not very big, just big enough to keep them busy.  We had a garden and I let them plant one of their own if they wanted to as well.  I have always planted lots and lots of flowers no matter where I have lived, but because of where I have lived and how I was raised,

I love the harvest season.

So my pictures of fake berries, pumpkins, leaves, flowers, and many more

fall things, is my way of bringing in the joy

that I feel this time of year.  I wished you could smell my wonderful spice/pumpkin

candle that is burning, it seems to fit in so well with my fall memories.

I hope all of you have wonderful fall memory's and will share them with me.  Have a Great Fall Season!

Sandi