Fall 2013

Here they are. Just as I promised. This last weekend was the perfect weekend to take pictures. The sun was shining through the leaves, and John had let the cows out to explore a recently harvested field so I had the cow pasture all to myself. I called the dogs, grabbed my camera, and we headed out for a lovely walk.

“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn--that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness--that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.” 
― Jane Austen, Persuasion

“The autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement in such a way as to make the girl who was moving there seem fixed to a sliding walk, letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry her forward. [...] The trees overhead made a great sound of letting down their dry rain.” 
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Windmill Picture Project

Every once in a while I feel like I should have a blog just for my photography. But then I realize I would have to maintain two blogs, and I'm just too lazy for that.

Anyway, I wanted to share these, and maybe someone will share their thoughts with me. Can't get any better if I don't get any feed back.

First, the story.

Back in our cow pasture there is this really awesome windmill. It is ridiculously old. Our landowner, who is probably 90 + years old, told John that when he was a young man they made some repairs to the windmill, and that it was old then. I wish that we could find a date on it somewhere.

I have had this idea that I would take a picture from the same angle every season, and then display all four pictures together. To preserve its awesomeness for posterity. Since, unfortunately, nothing lasts forever.

1

2

3

4

So? Which one do you like? I think I like #4 the best. But I'm not sure. What do you think? Should they be edited differently? Let me know in the comments!

Harvest Time 2013

It is that time here in the Midwest. On days when the sun is shining and the ground is mostly dry farmers will race to the fields to complete the most important of farming jobs.

Harvest.

Beans are usually first, and are notorious for how dusty and dirty they are. Pay attention if driving through the country with your windows down, because the watery eyes and choking cough from driving through a cloud of bean dust is NOT WORTH IT. (I wouldn't know from personal experience or anything.... no... not at all.)

John asked me to come pick him up and take him back to the house
so he could bring some more wagons over to the field.
Blue skies and golden bean fields.
Perfect.

Trucks are red and tractors are green.
There is a bumper sticker in the store where Austin works that says that.
I always thought it applied to us.

"Old school" farming with the 4020.

More recently, I got the chance to ride with John in the combine while he was working on corn.

He wasn't really expecting me to show up in the field, and I think I might have scared him a little bit when I just showed up out of nowhere. It is wise to never sneak up on big machinery. I didn't mean to walk up behind him I swear!

I wasn't exactly sure where he was combining at.
So I sort of ended up behind him.
 But it turned into a rather cool picture, so I'm okay with it.

The view from the cab.
Don't ask me how a person manages to line everything up correctly
so that the stalk feed into the combine.
I don't think I could do it.

Dumping the combine hopper into the Kill Bros. wagon. 

The "boys" (Austin and John) are still working on getting all the grain in. I think John said this morning there are 47 1/2 acres to go, and we might end up helping another farmer combine his corn. Not sure though.

More pictures

Here are some more pictures I took during my blogging hiatus. I'm thinking tonight I'm going to go out and start taking some fall pictures in the woods. That is, If I can steal the Rancher from the boys for a little while. Might even be able to get a few pictures of John combining if the weather cooperates.

I might have fallen off the face of the earth, but I'm back now.

Okay. I realize I haven't published anything since May. (I'm not a very good blogger I guess.) I had this whole blog post written out in my head that would explain away why I've been gone for so long, but I don't want to make excuses, and I guess I'm just not ready to talk about it.  Maybe someday I will. I feel like I've learned a valuable lesson in Forgiveness, and I want to share it so maybe others can learn from my mistakes. I'm still working through all of the emotions though.

Anyway. It is fall now. It is a frosty 50 degrees outside right now and the leaves are beginning to change colors. I keep waiting for "the moment."I feel like every year there is a moment when the scenery is at its peak beauty, and that is the moment that you should take pictures. Northern Illinois really is its most beautiful in the fall, and I hope to share it with all of you soon.

Before I do that though, I'll share a few pictures from my crazy summer. Catch you up a little bit on what has been going on.

Planting. The shoots are just so little.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that they will grow to be so tall.

More spring. Upper left: wild columbine.
Lower left: John and Austin are out checking to make sure the beans are coming up.
Right: The skeletal remains of a windmill that ran a pump.
We don't really know how old it is.  But we love it, and try to make sure it doesn't fall on our watch.

Kittens, kittens, and more kittens! Gah! So cute.

The Fourth of July. It is kinda a big deal in Mt. Morris.
Left: My "little sister" Kelci ran for Let Freedom Ring Queen this year.
Upper Right: We finally got to take a picture of all three of us in our crowns.
Lower Right: Austin and I being goofy at the fireworks.

Random Summer.
Top: The corn got SO unbelievably tall this year. I've never seen anything quite like it.
It sort of created a wall all around our house.
Bottom Left: Audra emcee'd the local Kable Concert Band, as well as played her flute.
She was awesome.
Right: Wednesday nights in Mt. Morris look like this.
Everyone is downtown watching the Kable Concert Band.
Bottom Right: Audra on the 4230. John really wanted a picture of her on the tractor.

So.... yeah. Pretty much the whole summer. (I skipped over a little bit.) I've got a lot of fall pictures I'll put up soon. No, I really mean soon. Not 6 months from now. I told you. I'm going to be a better blogger now.