Word for the day: EARTH: the world, the substance of the land,
Yesterday, we walked through the farmlands of Spain. It was a meditation on my days on our dairy farm in Homedale, Idaho. The poignant smells of manure, silage, the harvest. My parents were hard workers, who sacrificed their lives for their children. My dad farmed until 96, and is still going strong. My mom died last year at 92, and this walk is one to learn more about her abiding faith and commitment to the Catholic Church.
Mom loved butterflies and her ministry included sending magnet butterflies 🦋 to families when they lost a loved one. Mom has been with me in spirit, and I receive her encouragement and love nearly every day when one or more butterflies walk beside me on my journey! (Except of course in winter).
Our espresso machine at the hotel yesterday, had 4 spigots. As the cafe con leche poured out, my first thought was of getting up in the mornings and placing the suction cups on the udders of the cows so the milk poured out! Nothing like raw whole milk out of the bulk tank. So, it was only fitting that the day took me back to my somewhat carefree days of youth! And by some of the crops grown in Homedale.
A field of corn not yet ready for harvest
A field of dry corn, waiting to be harvested. Corn grown for feed, has to meet a certain moisture level before being harvested to produce the best silage.
Just some husks and corn 🌽 fallen to the ground
Here’s our 2 “grey” guys, Charlie and Carmen!Nice that they color coordinated for the day!
This particular spot smelled like fall.
HAY
GRAIN, with the box where H2O flows for irrigation
Some sort of hay, but not alfalfa
The fields harvested, ready to be sown for next year.
The irrigation system is similar.
The concrete boxes where the water flows
A small dam. DAMN!
Cemented canals. Many in Homedale are still dirt.
SILOS, maybe holding silage, maybe grain
Pat fro NYC in front of the silos!
And of course, Spain has many crops Not raised in the Treasure Valley (as the Boise area is called).
Sunflowers 🌻. They are the flower of the Ukraine 🇺🇦 and the flower of St Ignatius. My good friend Liz, from JVC, 1975, Ruined for Life. And below is Dave, our fearless leader back then who got the whole ball rolling for Jesuit Volunteers on the East Coast. JVC started in the northwest, with the first “mission” placements in Alaska.
Pear 🍐 trees! We ate some along the way and they were yummy 😋. Fruit here is so fresh. I really like the bananas 🍌 which come from the Canary Islands.
This week we are to focus on the passion of Christ. I am trying to focus on his message of love 💕,kindness, and doing good works!
Jeez Louise!
Here’s our 2 “grey” guys, Charlie and Carmen!
HAY
Hi Louise, just catching up with you after 3 days of not reading the blog.
ReplyDelete“Angel from Montgomery”- I play BR singing it every few weeks.👼
I don’t attend Mass every Sunday anymore (like I used to for 65 plus years )& Gospel readings I often view with skepticism now ( is that having too much pride)
But The Prayer of St Francis is “bread” I try to eat daily.
“Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where their is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Oh Divine Lord, grant that I may not so much seek to be loved, as to love.
To be understood , as to understand.
To be consoled, as to console.
For it is in giving that we receive.
In pardoning that we are
pardoned and
In dying that we are born to eternal life.”
I see God in the corn and the fields. Is that what reinforced your mother, Helen’s faith? I wonder.
You’re doing a great job walking.
Peace, Barbara
What a beautiful day - I can just smell the smells if the farm and the feeling of fall harvest- what a lovely it it must have been . Hope all is well. ❤️Susan
ReplyDeleteGreat job pilgramaging. Hello to Bette, Dave and Liz!
ReplyDeleteLela