Back where I come from...

This weekend we are back in our home town...a small town and a farming community.  Being here, surrounded by familiar sights, smells and sounds is comforting. Tractors are busy and the men are working from dawn to dusk... the sounds of wagons bouncing along the road fills my parents house as my sweet Courty yells, "theres a tractor!" Harvest season is in full swing and Noah couldn't be more excited!  HE LOVES FARMING!  He has been a true farmer since he was able to walk! Two years ago, Noah would ride around my with dad and my uncles and enjoy a full afternoon of combining... last year, Noah stayed out from morning until 11pm, refusing to eat supper because it would take away from the farming.  He loves it...  I remember when Declan was just born and Noah was so excited that he had a little brother, he asked me "Do you think Dex will love farming as much as I do?"  Noah and I talked about how Noah would have to show him the ropes and teach him all about the different types of tractors and how to combine.  Noah was SO excited for Declan to start farming!  The day after Declan passed away, when Noah and I had a moment to talk about what had just happened to Declan and to us, he started crying and all he could say was, "I wanted to teach him how to farm."  It broke my heart.... he was so excited to have a brother and to be a big brother to a little boy who would eventually want to be just like him.  Often I get stuck in thinking about all I have loss, but I need to remember it wasn't just me whose dreams were taken from me...

Here are some photos of our farming weekend.  As usual, it was a blast and I was reminded of why Noah loves to farm so much... there is a certain calmness and peace that comes from the sound of the combine, the drum of the tractors... the night sky as the sun is setting, sending orange and purple hues dancing across the earth... the dust from the field leaves the sky a foggy haze... the chill in the air is just enough that you need to pull your arms in tight to keep warm... it's harvest and unless I am back home, I forget about the serenity that comes from being caught up in the middle of this wonderful season.



 

The old barn... looking a little weathered, but still holds a beauty all it's own.



 

As the corn empties out of the wagon, it makes a neat sound as the kernels hit the metal of the auger.

 

The old house that my father grew up in... also the house that I grew up in until high school.  Lots and LOTS of memories here. 

 

The crew, busy unloading the corn and getting ready to go fill it up again!

 

Emptying the new combine! This is Noah's FAVORITE tractor!!  He likes John Deere, but his heart belongs to Case IH!

 

Papa Court waiting for the corn to unload... all smiles now, but farming can have its own set of troubles... hopefully no more this season!

 

The view from our rope swing... our community has been over taken with windmills (Wind turbines is the P.C. name) which makes sense because it is almost always windy down in this corner of MN.

 

Our beloved rope swing... began its life many moons ago as a "bag swing" and was the life of many many gatherings!  A great time had then and continues to be... Courty is enjoying the swing all 'by herself'! My little big girl!  So independent!

 

Noah takes a turn on the swing and he also enjoyed it... but he wants a little more action!  Maybe next time we will get out one of our tractors with a loader and jump from that!  :)