September Time

Rabbits

Rabbits

Rabbits

September...

Back
to
school.

Pumpkins
growing
in the
compost
pile.

Tomatos
on the
roadside
stand.

Indiana
Sweet
Corn

Mmmm!

Touch-me-nots
startle us
with their
seedpods.

Sunflowers
startle us
with
color!














Dragonflies
soaking
in
September
sun.

Grasshoppers

on the

windows...











Butterflies
on
clover...

Farmers
markets...

Full
of
sweets...

and
flowers
for the
table.

Time
to
reorganize...

Time
to
migrate...

to
migrate...

to
migrate.

A few
leaves
foreshadow
fall...



We
have
later

sunrises...

Earlier

sunsets...

It's
time
for a
nap.

The Land in August

The Land
is
so
beautiful
in
August.

The purple
season
bows
to
yellow.

A simple

walk

through the

grasses...

Brings

me
face
to
face...

with
the beauty
of
summer.

The flowers
are
beautiful,
yes...

But then,
so are
the
thistles...

the colors
of the
pokeweed
are
stunning...

Even the
lowly ragweed
throws elegant
arches
up into the
August
sky.

The yellow
flowers
bring
sunbright
to the
land...

and
the soft
grasses
flow
with
the wind.

My chest
thrums
with the
masses of bees
working
the prairie.













I enjoy
the
swallowtails

and
painted
ladies...

while scanning
the skies
for the
monarch
migration.

My
milkweeds
are
ready.

The pines
shine
with
streaks of silver

reminding
me
of the
silver shining
in my own
hair.

We are aging
together
the
summer
and
me.

and
we
look
forward...

to
the
beauty...

of
a
new
season...





yet
to
come

The Family Farm

It's not
about
the farm,
says my
sister,
Cally.

Not
about
the
beautiful
big old
barn.

Nor
the
fascinating
small
pig
barn...

with
the old
sleigh
hanging
in the
rafters.

It's not
about
the
magnificent
old farm
house.

Not even
about the
heritage
of
150
years...

from
our
Swiss
progenitors.

It's
about
family.

Far
flung.

Spirited.

And
maybe
a
bit
cantankerous.

We
gather
once
a year...

to
celebrate
our
family
ties...

in
charming
New Glarus,
Wisconsin.

Relatives
we
hardly
knew
3 years ago...

We
find
kindred
spirits.















Bikers.

Tree
planters.

Land
lovers.

But
what is
the
future...

of the
old
family
farm?

As I
bike
around
New
Castle...

I
ponder
this
question.

I look
around
my
Indiana
bikescape...

I see
barns
sighing
of
neglect...

Forgotten
homes...





left to
crumble

in the

countryside.

.

We've
got
to do
better...

for
our
family
farm!

Should
we become
a bed
and
breakfast?

or
a
theater?

Farm
pumpkins?

or
tomatos?

Do
we keep
row-cropping
corn?

Dripping
the soil
of
our
forefathers...

...with
chemicals?

I see
too
much
cancer...

to be
comfortable
with
that.

Better
to
farm
organically
15 acres...

and
preserve
the rest
as
forest....


or
as
prairie

And
leave
for
future
generations

a
treasure

they
can
cherish...



...forever.