Harvest Time

A late harvest this year. Another fight with the weather.

Growing up there were two times of the year that I really looked forward to. The first was spring and all the work that went into the process of preparing the land and seeding. It was a time of hope and promise. The smell of the tilled soil almost enters the bloodstream directly.

The second time of the year was harvest time. This time of the year, no matter where the year had gone to that point, had a finality of putting the crop into the bin where it would be safe. Even the work on the equipment to get ready for harvest was a time I enjoyed while growing up.

There were only a couple of years, as I was growing up, that I can recall a harvest that ran this late and was as troublesome with regards to weather. Those years were far less enjoyable and the stress of everyone around was so high that you had to be careful what you said and to whom.

I really respect those who are struggling this year to take off a crop where expectations were so dashed by both frost and now a wet harvest season. Realize that there are those who understand how it feels to have the promise of success stolen away just as you are about to grasp it.