Harvest Time!

 

I am amazed at the sunrises and sunsets we get out here on the prairie. 

As a kid in Seattle, I could catch beautiful sunsets when we went to the beach. But we didn't often go to the beach. 

In Florida we could see some pretty colors outline the clouds if we looked up beyond the trees and buildings we were living among. 

In Texas we could watch the mild sunrises behind Comanche Lookout hill, and there were often pretty colors outlining clouds if we looked up above buildings and trees at sunset.

But here......

We get to watch the sun actually peek above the horizon and dip back down behind it. 

Soul-satisfying beauty.

And the fields around us are about all harvested after this past week. 

Papa said once they got in the field it would go quick. And it did go quick. I almost wish it had taken longer so we could watch longer. I kind of enjoy the people milling about, dumping grain in the bins behind our house, moving that massive equipment. 

Elizabeth visiting. 

She is working for the coffee shop at Christ's Church of Oronogo now. She's in charge of the ordering and volunteers and cleaning up and such. It's a great job for her, and I know she'll do great at it.

We got out the box of pictures.

I wanted to show Harrison our wedding photos since he couldn't remember ever seeing them. And we have lots of printed baby and toddler pictures of all the kids from before we moved to all digital. 

Phillip found his box of tractors from when he was a kid, and now Harrison has so many tractors to play with! He's been making stop-motion animation videos with them.

Phoebe got it in her head to cook some sweet-and-sour pork.

It was delicious! 

She said the same thing I did last time I made the same some 18 years ago: 

"It was really good, but I'm not sure it was worth it."

The kids had some friends over. 

The teens sit and talk.

The pre-teens play with toys.

Jonathan made this chair in Ag Structures at the public school. 

Good job, Jon! I like it.

Phoebe and I had a little outing to see some Van Gogh in St. Louis. 

We had a good time together but not a good time at the event. Now that we live in a small town where a mask is not required anywhere, I just rebel against any place else that forces me to wear one. 

Okay, okay, I told myself I wouldn't complain on the blog about the experience, so I'll move on.  

Phillip cutting down the black rail posts. 

He replaced them with wooden posts which we're thinking of painting black. I love how open the porch feels now.

He's now (literally, right now) sanding, or rather grinding, down the old paint that's peeling off the cement porch. He's getting down below that top layer of dark cement. It's looking nice and white and new.  

One of our stupendous sunsets.