Reding Update: Feast or Famine

I’ve decided rain is either a stranger or an uninvited, intrusive guest. It’s been feast or famine this year – with a few exceptions. A couple weeks ago I found myself posting “Come on rain!” to my Facebook account. I know I am desperate for rain when I use a social networking site to ask the rain to fall! I’m pretty sure Facebook didn’t have any control over the situation, but the rain did fall and was beautiful music to my ears.

Of course the downside of rain is that my internet connection went out. Which of course reminds me of a story… For the first several years that we lived in Howardstown, the phone line would go out each time we had a significant rain. They finally fixed that issue about a year ago, but our only high-speed internet option is through satellite. (By the way, I find humor in the commercial where the guy is in the middle of the desert and can get internet, but we can’t get it in Howardstown!) So, when the clouds come, the signal goes. Perhaps my next book (after the one about things city girls should know when marrying a farmer) should be entitled “You Might Live in the Country If…”

Speaking of the county, I have included two bird’s-eye view pictures of the countryside. Aaron was invited to take a plan ride to view some of our fields. He graciously accepted the offer and took Josh along with him.

You might see that some of the corn has turned in those pictures. While it seems we just finished planting, harvest has already begun! We began combining last Friday. I have been out of town so I haven’t taken any pictures but will post those next time. It’s so hard to believe fall is here already! Andrew is so excited to get to ride in the combine. He has been asking to farm since we finished planting. It makes Aaron so proud to have a son who loves to farm.

In addition to harvesting corn, soybeans and wheat, we also harvest our own blueberries courtesy of several bushes in our backyard. This year, the harvest has gone on since the end of June and the blueberries are still coming! We have never in ten years had such a long blueberry season, and we just love it. I have included a couple pictures of Adam and Andrew picking blueberries. Andrew works very hard at picking, but won’t eat any. On the other hand, Adam doesn’t work hard and eats all he picks!

Along with fall comes back-to-school. I have included a shot of Kathryn on her first day. Our school began August 5, so we are fully back in the swing of things. In addition to the pictures mentioned, I have also included one example of how our resident-photographer Josh can make a dirty blade look cool (at least if converted to black and white.)