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Double R Farm (Amish Country Soaps & Sundries)

  (Sugarcreek, Ohio)
Stories from the Amish Countryside
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Starry, Starry Sky

Last night I spent some time looking around to see what is still growing well here on the farm. The Indian corn is stunning and vibrant, and I am wondering if the cooler weather has something to do with it. The tomatoes are starting to wind down, but I still see another crop of late bloomers hanging heavily on the vines waiting to ripen. We thankfully have not been effected by blight, and have had many to share with friends and neighbors. The pumpkins are turning orange and the winter squash is forming. The potatoes are almost ready for their final dig, and the beans are still producing. The cooler weather has some varieties slowing down, while others who love the cold begin to flourish.

Soon it will be time to turn the gardens over and allow them the rest they need before planting again in the spring. The leaves will be changing soon and autumn will quickly replace the heat of summer. What comes next I shudder to think. There is as always much work to be done on the farm and I know it will be enough to keep me warm. I can only hope that this winter is not nearly as cold as last year‘s . We did not get a single peach or even a blossom from our reliable trees this year. After speaking with many local peach growers I learned the weather was too cold for the trees last winter and froze the tiny buds right on the branches. Any peaches found here have all been trucked in from other places.

Each season brings with it new challenges as well as many new wonders. Early this morning I stepped out and noticed the beautiful starry sky . A cool, clear and crisp morning illuminated the most vibrant of stars. I stood there trying to remember where each constellation was and what it represented. For a brief moment in time I forgot the troubles that seem to be afflicting many just now. Sometimes a starry, starry sky is all you need to get motivated for the day.

 
 

Mother Nature's Wonder

It's early here.Too ealy for even the sun to rise as we greet yet another frigid morning in Sugarcreek. It is bitter cold. Just how cold I am not sure. I have stopped looking at the thermonmeter and only catch pieces of the weather forecast. It is that time of year when I start looking outside to see the weather and the wonders of Mother Nature. 

Spring for me holds much promise with the anxious bulbs that peek through the frozen ground and the welcome return of the robins. I can tell we are getting close when I see the daffodils up about  a 1/2 inch and one plump robin at the feeder looking a little out of place. Soon the bulbs will burst forth providing a canvas of color that only Mother Nature can create.

Not long after the emergence of the early spring flowers baby birds will hatch. Watching the mother birds teach their young to gather food and learn to fly provide us with hours of entertainment. We also enjoy a host of springtime wild bunnies.Sometimes we name our springtime guests. We have had Dory the mourning dove, Hopper the robin, and Thumper the baby bunny.

As I put the dog out this morning I stop and look up into the early morning sky. I look for the Big Dipper and some of the more familiar constellations. I barely even notice the cold. As I watch the twinkling stars I  remember of a story one of my students told me, and I can only smile. 

This past year we had a bad wind storm which knocked the power out in our area.While most of the students were complaining about no t.v., no video games and the fact that they had to go to bed early becasue they had no lights one students voice rose above the others. I listened while she told the story of how she had seen "the most beautiful thing".

She told the story of how out of boredom she and her Mom had stepped outside and with no street lights she had been able to see something for the first time. Something that we sometimes take for granted. Just above their house they noticed the evening sky. She was amazed at how brightly the stars had twinkled and just how dark the evening sky was. Normally, this magnificant veiw would have been washed out by the street lights.

So as I start my day filled with thoughts of peace and solitude I am determined to hold onto these no matter what craziness this day will bring.  Should I  begin to fret or worry about things I can not change I need only look to Mother Nature for Inspiration.

 
 
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