Sour Cream Cookies and Early Morning on the Farm

It’s morning on the farm. Together, Mr. Farmer and I enjoy watching the sun come up every morning. We are blessed.

This morning was particularly colorful as we patiently watched light behind the trees, then enough light to place color in the yard—-the grass turned green and the day lilies popped…….from shadows to colorful yellow.

The grazing cattle appeared at horizon level over by the silo and the pond shimmered even before the sun started up it’s slow grand march up over the horizon, breaking forth the day.  We smiled. It truly was a sight to behold.

Then, Mr. Farmer took action by filling the pickup with gas, deciding what coat to wear to chase the early morning chill off, grabbing lunch from my hand and bidding me a beautiful goodbye. He drove passed me and out the driveway. I watched him all the way down the road, then turn into the shop driveway.

He had a men meeting to attend. Another huddle, another decision making time of who was doing what and where to go and when to do it. The days get long, very long this time of year, yet I know he loves what he does and anticipates another day of strategic plays to make the most of each new day.

Soybeans are “ticky”. They dry out when they want…..seems never a rhymn or reason for their behavior. Workers throw beans into their mouths for a quick check to see if they “pop”, which means they are ready to go. Sometimes they are ready first thing in the morning and sometimes it takes the sun shining down on them to clear out the morning dew before they wake up and cooperate. Of course the same scenario holds true every evening. Sometimes our crew quits earlier than other nights. Lately, the pickup rounds the corner into our driveway anywhere from ten pm to 1 am. And then they are up again at the crack of dawn, never complaining, appearing ready for another day, another huddle and winning plays are executed for the next time-period.  Discouragement comes when break-downs pop up and service men don’t show up and long lines at the elevator grow and moisture count is too high or too low and workers don’t show or quit early and…………………then………………..change can happen quickly and they are back on track doing what they do best…………the main objective………….harvesting.

The workers enjoy passing around a “bucket” of sweet treats. Today Mr. Farmer took with him some frosted sour cream cookies.  The recipe is old………one that came from a lady at the “hair shop”  forty-some years ago. This one I make every year when I remember to buy the sour cream. They are delicious and the harvesters love them, too.