It is 4:58 p.m. and all is quiet on this cold winter's eve. As usual, the calves are munching at their feed bunks; the sun is setting with a blaze of sky blue pink; my nose is twitching from the bitter cold; and nothing much exciting is happening at the old farmstead. And then, almost on cue a flurry of wings and a stampede of hooves breaks upon the scene. It is the arrival of our nightly visitors. And the story goes like this:
The Young and the Restless
As hubby and I peered out of our dining room window last evening, deer were scampering across the lawn and migrating to a small pile of corn. Besides the deer, three rooster pheasants appeared from no where and were running at full speed toward the same pile. Although the recent snow had hidden the golden kernels, these wildlife scavengers could smell it a mile away. They knew it was there and they were going to consume every tender morsel. And they have; for this adventure has been playing out night after night at exactly the same time each evening.
We have enjoyed their nightly antics immensely. To watch them frolic and play in the snow while diving in for a few precious kernels has been kind of like watching a soap opera; only better. In a soap opera, it takes days and maybe even weeks to see some new action. Not with the wildlife-they live up to their name. They're wild and full of life and beautiful to watch.
I guess we could call our nightly drama, “The Young and the Restless,” or maybe even, “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Ya just never know what's going to happen next or whose going to show up at the corn pile. Some nights we have only the does with maybe one young buck; some nights we have lots of does with some older bucks; and some nights -the big fellows come very late to the scene. Awesome. And to think this nightly drama almost didn't happen.
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Men can be so-o-o frustrating
Whiny old Jane was after the men to put away all of their precious John Deere equipment; especially our son's JD combine. The more I complained about the green beast out in the middle of the yard, the more excuses he came up with for not putting it in the machine shed. Men can be so-o-o frustrating. Didn't he realize that snow would be coming and with that combine sitting out in the open-well, heavens to Mergatroid-it would create a great big snow bank right in the middle of the yard. Zounds!!
And another thing I told him- that he better clean out that cab and put some cab fresh or whatever you call it in the cab to keep the mice out. And then he better sweep the corn off the cab top and he better not do it right in the middle of the yard and make a big mess for me to clean up. And, and, and... you all get the point, right?
Well, the day before it snowed, he started the machine, swept the corn off right where it stood, and finally moved it into the shed. It snowed that night and covered up the corn and our soap opera started. What a delight. For goodness sakes, don't tell the boy, I'm enjoying his corn mess!
Lessons to learn
Corn mess or not, the wildlife take care of themselves and provide us with much entertainment, sustenance, and life skills. Our Creator knew what He was doing when He made the deer, the birds, and all the beasts of the fields. If we but watch them, observe what they do, and follow their example; life will be good for us.
Reason for the season
Animals know there is a reason for the season, and likewise, we humans should realize this also. Par usual, the snow season has arrived and blanketed the earth. And with the snowfall blanket, peace and quietness now permeate the air. One old song claims that “It is a Wonderful Time of the Year.” Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. I tend toward the positive side of this issue because it signals the time of the Great Miracle.
For, as hubby and I observed the night time deer and pheasants coming to consume the kernels of corn, a reverent calmness surrounded us and presented a reminder of the Christmas Season Miracle. There was no wind; there were no loud sounds; there was just a silent thankfulness and watchfulness. Both the animals and the humans were waiting for the same thing-the celebration of HIS birth. It was a tender moment full of awe and majesty and gave us a wonderful feeling of peace on earth; good will toward men.
Merry Christmas.
Jane Green and her husband, Jim, live near Clark. Contact Jane for some public speaking, to order one of her books, or to register your comments. E-mail her at: jgreen@itctel.com.
