A love song in pictures

This past weekend, we spent a night and the next day with friends, came home to White cousins, and Hoyt, the newest cousin. Sunday, we had a leisurely lunch at our house, a moseying drive to look at all the possible land we could buy. And then, a long wandering walk around the farm with lots of irresistible picture taking. A lovely, lovely weekend.

I know most people don't think the farm is the most wonderful place on earth. But I labor under that delusion. And this is my love song to the farm. And fall. And puppies. And my babies. 

We went to a funeral today. Hoyt's great grandfather. He was a great guy. A bit of a legend at 92. He lived a full life. And lived it for something beyond this life's experiences. 

Life wasn't easy for Ron, but you wouldn't have known it from him. He was happy and contented. Contented in a way that only the truly confident and faithful can be. He knew what was important. His confidence in that was unshakable. 

Loving the farm you grew up on might not seem connected. Not exactly filling life up with newness and sensation. But this farm was the fullness of my growing up life. And it still fills my consciousness, me.  

A full life, contentment. I want to cultivate them more. To see right through the worthless static of life to the heart of the matter. The important things. And while these pictures aren't to do with our soul and our salvation, these are the lesser important things--the way the sun shines through fall leaves. An unexpectedly late wildflower. The sweep of October skies. The delight of kids. Autumn fields in evening light. The rambunctiousness of puppies. 

Milkweed seeds. So shiny and silky.

The girls and their "baby carriers." They wanted to take a stroller for the dolls, but as you can see, this isn't the trail for strollers. So we came up with this solution. They carried them the whole way!

Ferns in three colors

Raspberry leaves

Scotch Thistle

An abandoned birds nest

Apples that tasted like pears. I have to taste an apple from each tree. These ones were very sweet with a mild flavor.

Cowpath up a hill

Green, yellow, red

Grapevine tangle on a stone wall

Walking through the clover

Sweet girl

Daddy and Elsie

Tori and Elsie

Tori watches the kids, while Justin and I just casually take a walk. Pretty good situation.

Geese taking off

Geese and barn

Alfalfa in Orianna's braid

Clover in Lily's braid

Wading

Our family

I like us. In all our muddiness and happiness!

Boy-o.

Mommy and Elsie

Apples and blue sky

Moi. 

Birch and yellow maple leaves

Green and yellow leaves

Most of the trees have dropped their leaves, but that just makes the remaining ones that much more noticeable. 

Maple woods

Stone wall

Elsie had to sit on this rock and then turned around to make sure we noticed. 

Apple orchard. The cows cluster here in the summer, eliminating the grass.

Dogs and barn

Lily offering Elsie some clover

Standing on a hay bale

Gilbert kissing Elsie

Lily has suddenly gone bow-legged. This makes me laugh.

My Elsie girl

Love! 

(Why doesn't her mother zip her jacket properly?)

Being mauled by puppies. 

For some reason, all these pictures are really sun struck. But I kind of like it. 

Isn't Gilbert a nice big brother?

Puppy mob

Must investigate situation!

Chickens

Haha! Gilbert was chasing chickens. But the one in the foreground was not a-feared.

Red boots in a mud puddle