Mr. Farmer asked me to take a ride with him to check the cows. I love an invitation! I get a lot of “spur of the moment” invitations and of course I wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity for adventure, beauty, great conversation and alone time. I climbed up into the cab and off we went down the dirt road.
The beauty of the earth changes every single day. The sky is this huge canvas where vibrant colors come to life, light changes, and of course the objects change depending on the subject matter. It is absolutely EXHILARATING to me! I almost always have my iPhone at hand to snap a shot or two, and I often kick myself when I don’t take my “big camera”, for the beauty that surrounds us along the Iowa countryside is so much so, that I want to share it with you. As I’ve said before…..sometimes it takes my breath away…..I get goosebumps, and I praise my God for the beauty of the earth.
Mr Farmer always wants to make certain the cows in all the pastures have their fill of salt and mineral blocks. It’s important for their dietary and health needs. For those of you who don’t know about salt and mineral (I should’ve taken a pic of them), it comes in blocks weighing about 12-15 pounds, and they are placed by the bales of hay or in a feeder. And they lick away, with joy, I might add. When the grand kids are with us on our rides, sometimes he hammers off a little corner of a salt block for them to snack on. I think it’s disgusting……they think it’s cool!
The herd knows Mr. Farmer’s voice and his pickup, so we can usually get “up close and personal” with them. They certainly are curious creatures. Normally a Black Angus herd isn’t bothered much by pink eye, but we can get a good look at them to see if anything is bothering them as we drive through the pasture, listening to their soft mooing.
I love watching the calves romp together. They try to act tough until we get too close; then they run like crazy to their mamas. 🙂 (Much like people……….)
I’d like to introduce you to Maude. Don’t you just love her hair coloring?? I laugh when I see her. She, too, is an inquisitive “old mama” who doesn’t get frightened by our appearance (and sometimes she should!!) Mr. Farmer can tell the cows by their tags—the colors of their tags, the numbers and also just by remembering whether or not they are good performers. Maude passed the test. Isn’t she funny looking?
If you live in this area you are seeing a ton of Queen Anne’s Lace in the road ditches, sides of fields and pastures. Of course, the cows do NOT like them. They like nice soft grass to eat. Grandpa Gerald called these intricate plants wild parsnips…..said once started they’re hard to get rid of. Mr and Mrs. Farmer don’t ever recall seeing them as thick as they are now. Well, this gardener knows they are a great cut “flower” in a bouquet!
Day is done and night, once again, has come to our gorgeous Iowa countryside.
I was wrong. The painted sky doesn’t change every DAY…….it changes ever MINUTE.
Good Night……………………………….God Bless you and your family. Give Thanks to God, with a Grateful heart, for He loves us so, and offers us everything we need here on earth, and more importantly…..eternal life.
I John 5:11-12 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
verse 20 “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we my know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
John 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the RIGHT to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
