I looked at the picture above this morning and concluded that it's both a literal and a figurative image: Lily and Lefty want the same stalk of corn so they're holding firm.
Metaphorically speaking, however, it symbolizes much of what we see in the world today: a lot of intense tugging back and forth and very little giving in.
I think the two horses eventually pulled hard enough that each eventually got to eat a portion of the stalk.
A little something for both sides.
Yesterday meant the beginning of this year's corn-stalk treats for the horses, and they did enjoy every bite.
Bill and I also enjoyed every mouth-watering bite of our last little ears of fresh homegrown corn.
It was a great day for living the rural life yesterday.
I kept inwardly pinching myself, thinking about how days like yesterday, where working outside was pure joy, have been few and far between this summer.
And, so I had that kid-in-the-candy-store attitude, happily moving on from one outdoor project to another without the least concern for when the day was gonna turn beastly hot.
One project involved emptying a grain barrel.
The other day when I brought CB home from that first-ever ride, I fully intended to give him several handfuls of Country Critter grain as a reward.
I opened the barrel and discovered that the grain had gone bad from all the intense heat. So, CB had to settle for a few alfalfa pellets.
I've also discovered that mice have returned to the grain barrel area and have decided alfalfa pellets could substitute for grain.
When I watched four big mice scattering from the pellet sack, I reasoned that poor Sunny has been too hot for too long to chase after mice, so the creatures have had the advantage.
Once the bad grain had been emptied, I washed out the barrel and put the sack of pellets inside.
Now, there should be no reason for mice to be hanging around AND it could be that the cool weather will get Sunny back into fulfilling her barn-cat duties.
Yesterday morning, when I mentioned to Bill that it's plum ripening time and that the added color had led to discovering that the plum tree in the north lawn actually had more than the one plum I had calculated earlier.
I told him that I'd counted half a dozen the other day.
"But they're so high up in the tree, it's not worth lugging a ladder out there," I added.
"Why don't you go down to Co-Op and get one of those fruit pickers?" he suggested.
So, I did, along with a new scythe for cutting weeds and tall grass.
The fruit picker is amazing. I harvested those six plums within minutes and never had to leave the ground.
It's one of those tools that makes a person wonder why it wasn't added to the arsenal years ago.
I also used the new scythe to remove a bunch of weeds from the front pasture.
All this work felt SO good with the comfortable temperature and without bees dive bombing me with every move.
What a difference a few degrees on the thermometer can make in efficiency, enthusiasm and attitudes in general.
At long last, the rewards of living the rural life have returned.
Happily, with the pleasant days ahead, more will come.
~~~~
This morning, I also want to mention the good news that came out of Boise yesterday when the Idaho State Supreme Court struck down a Legislative law making it more difficult for citizens to create, support and enact Initiatives.
This was definitely a win for the Idaho citizenry and another indication of how lucky we are to have a dedicated leader like Sandpoint's own Luke Mayville to spearhead these activities, aimed at the general good.
Luke has been relentless, smart and hopeful when faced with what have, at times, seemed like insurmountable obstacles toward bettering the lives of thousands of Idaho citizens.
His efforts with Medicaid and the current project aimed at improving the tools for Idaho's public education demonstrate the kind of leadership that Idaho and the nation need.
Congratulations to Luke and his team of thousands. Keep up the important work. Your efforts are appreciated and respected---as clearly indicated by the unanimous Supreme Court decision.
Finally, yesterday I was really touched by a Facebook introduction, a profound, heartfelt commentary offered by a great writer and the simple but powerful song that followed. So, I'd like to include these thoughts this morning.
I hope you'll take time to read this from beginning to end.
~~~
from my brother Mike who served two tours in Vietnam:
To
my friends--especially those friends who've sacrificed so much in
Afghanistan--who may find difficulty in their search for meaning in
their sacrifice, David French provides some perspective.
The statement,
"Their sacrifice was not in vain," is one that we've already heard and
we'll continue to hear in coming days, weeks, and months.
Chances are
that we'll hear it so often that we'll begin to regard it as empty and
devoid of solace...sort of like, "Thank you for your service," or "We
support our troops."
Mr. French provides the statement with substance
and meaning.
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