Sunday, September 7, 2025
Reflections of Summer
Where did summer go?
It's hard to believe that Labor Day has already happened
and our local schools are humming with activities.
Here on the farm, we're winding up the hay season.
This field of hay grazer was cut Saturday and will be wrapped to
make bailage--silage in a bale. The cows will think it's yummy!
Our end of summer days will include a little bit more hay cutting,
brush-hogging pastures and weed spraying where it is needed.
We have been blessed with adequate rain
throughout the growing season and not too many extremely hot days.
For Northwest Arkansas, I would say it was almost perfect!
We celebrated a milestone birthday with our
youngest son, Casey. I don't know how he got so old
The flowers must know their days are getting shorter
but my how they bring smiles on these last days of summer.
---------------------------
Find the joy in everyday. ---unknown
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Thankful Thursday
Spring is filled with new beginnings.
Welcoming new babies to the herd is a spring time event
that we look forward to and spend a lot of time
monitoring the expecting mama cows.
It's also been a couple of months filled with family celebrations--
Family gatherings that give us opportunity to
laugh at the fun the grandchildren provide,
my sweet Mother, Mary.
Ninety four years is a very long life and yet it would
never seem long enough for me.
She moved to the farm to be my next door
neighbor 10 years ago.
We had so many great times together just being
on the farm and working in the yard.
I am thankful for her life of loving and living and for everyday
she was with us on the farm.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
New Beginnings
Hello Spring....
I'm so glad to see you!
Green is the color we see while driving across the pastures
checking for any new babies that have been
born in the last few hours.
Spring has always been a favorite season because it
is the beginning of a new growing year on the farm.
This year is filled with new beginnings for our family.
Hattie had her first mock horse jumping clinic.
She's been riding for almost a year and is loving the
experience so much.
We also participated in a "reveal party"
for Casey and Shelby.
Welcoming a new baby girl in late fall is
pretty exciting spring news, too.
I'm thankful for all the new beginnings
that God supplies to us daily.
Happy Spring!
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Thankful Thursday
It was a little easier to take those bitterly cold temperatures this month
when we received the gift of snow.
I am thankful for the beautiful snow days.
The blanket of snow makes everything look so pretty.
Even though the daily chores continue
regardless of the weather, there is a joy in
the beauty a snowy day provides.
.jpg)
The cows are fed a little more hay and grain to
meet their nutritional needs during extreme cold weather.
Big round hay bales are unrolled to provide a soft,
warm place for cows to rest during snowy weather.
Checking water hydrants and breaking ice on the ponds when
necessary are also part of the snowy day protocol.
While I'm hoping for another snow day this year,
I'm thankful for this one!
Friday, December 20, 2024
Life's Seasons
These past few weeks have been busy with calf vaccinations, selling cattle and
moving cattle to different fields for the fall breeding season.
We also planted a few fields of wheat and grass
after the ground was softened with rain.
A change of the season always brings changes in the work on the farm.
As I walked through the feed barn, these calves seemed to be watching me.
I'm sure they were wondering if I was the person bringing their feed.
What a disappointment it must have been to just have their picture taken!
We have seasons in our own lives.
I made the decision to not seek re-election to the Benton County
Quorum Court. It has been my honor and privilege to represent
the citizens of District 9 for the past 12 years.
I shared this special retiring event with my sweet Mother.
You see, she was a great influence in my desire to serve in
an elected position.
While growing up, my parents were involved in community activities.
Mother served on the Bentonville City Council and the Benton County Quorum Court.
In fact, she was the first woman to serve on the Benton County Quorum Court.

Mother and I made a little bit of Benton County history
by being the only mother and daughter to serve
on the Benton County Quorum Court.
A season of service.
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Drought in a Season of Blessings
Drought---it's defined as a prolonged dry period in the natural
climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world.
It's happening in Northwest Arkansas!
Last week, our area was declared a drought area --D2 --to
be specific.
As you can see all around us--the color is brown.
Brown grass and brown trees.
Ponds are extremely low or dried up.
We actually moved beef cows from this pasture last week
because of very little water. Even though there
is still water in the pond, the water quality has diminished.
Hay feeding has been a daily job for several weeks.
Even during drought periods there are blessings.
At the beginning of this drought period when the grass
still had a little green color, we were able to chop the
corn for silage. This silage will be used in our
feed ration and will definitely help provide nutrition
and help stretch our hay supply.
Blessings come in all sizes---like finding a buyer
for our large milk tank. It left for another dairy farm today!
Even during drought--we are blessed with new life on the farm!
A highlight and for sure a blessing during this drought--
a wedding!
We've been showered with blessings during this season of drought!
Monday, September 2, 2024
Labor Day Season
Happy Labor Day!
We celebrated Labor Day with our labor of love
called farming!
Labor Day seems to be the beginning of a new season--
the beginning of a wind down to prepare us for fall
and winter.
It is a day to breathe a sigh of relief and offer a thank-you
to the good Lord for bringing us this far in the year with
sunshine and rain for the crops and water in the pond.
The cows would not understand if we didn't show up
to feed them and make sure their day was going well!
Cody chose to mow a field of hay
located at the back of a new neighborhood.
As we watched Cody pass by this house, I wondered what the neighbors
think when a big green tractor passes by their back porch!
In Northwest Arkansas, this is becoming a much more
common occurrence to be farming next to a new
housing subdivision.
.jpg)
It gives a different meaning to urban farming!
In this season of Labor,
we will be chopping corn soon to make corn silage
for winter feeding.
And the season of Labor Day continues,
with the very best gift--
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)