Farmer’s Field: I Love Spring

I love spring. Call me crazy, but cool, foggy, drizzly days are some of my favorites. 

I love stepping outside after a spring rain and smelling the air. It smells perfect. The sweetness from the blossoms on the apple trees and the aroma from the fresh flowers. The fresh, wholesome smell of newly plowed soil. The clean scent of newly mowed grass and the feel of the moist, dense air.  

As I look around my farm, I see so many wonderful sights. 

I see a robin sitting on her three perfectly-shaped, blue eggs. I see bright yellow goldfinches, blue birds, birds with gorgeous red and vibrant orange heads. 

I see cottontail rabbits with bushy, white tails munching on the green grass. 

I see tulips of white, yellow, pink, purple and red. I see marigolds of nearly every shade of orange. I see the bluest skies and the whitest clouds.  

I see animals and insects of almost every kind, preparing themselves for a new season.  I see baby calves frolicking in their newfound world. 

When night falls, I see the darkest skies, with the most brilliant stars shimmering from millions of miles away. I see constellations in the sky, which every generation before me has also seen.

As I continue to observe, I hear multiple songs of delight as birds flutter from branch to branch. I hear frogs croaking and the steady pounding of life-giving rain. I hear a cool breeze traveling through the trees and the song of a meadowlark in the distance. I hear a tom turkey gobble as he shows off his beautiful fan of feathers and his bright red head.  

As night falls, I hear crickets chirping and owls hooting. I hear coyotes howling, sometimes just one and other times, many. Then, I hear silence.

I watch the robin use his two small feet to hop on the ground, listening intently for what must be the movement of a bug or a worm. I watch a herd of antelope pass by my office window. I stare at the sky in amazement as the massive golden eagle soars to whatever height he desires.  I observe the pair of robins, one male and one female, working together to build the nest for their new family.  

I can’t help but notice each one plays a distinct, yet vital role in the survival of their species. As I silently stroll by a small tree, my presence threatens a female morning dove as she flails from her nest, pretending to be injured, in an attempt to lure me away.  

As my journey continues, I alert a mule deer buck who is just beginning to grow his antlers. As he pounces away, the doe he is with follows his lead. Soon, she will give birth to a new spotted fawn – one that will carry the bloodline of his mother’s and father’s strength, magnificence and resiliency.  

No matter how far I go, where I look, what I hear, what I smell or what I observe, God’s incredible creation is endless. It is truly incredible. Spring is a time for renewal. But, maybe more importantly, it is a time for perspective.  

As I continue to slowly wander, I ponder what all of my senses are keenly capable of, and I can’t help but wonder, “What if?”  

What if we all took time to notice the beauty surrounding us each day? Like the robin looking for the worm, what if we all just spent more time simply listening? 

I wonder what if we turned off all of the external noise and just heard silence and peace? What if we all took lessons from the things we often fail to even notice? 

What if we paid more attention to the lessons of the morning dove? She isn’t flashy and full of color – she’s just gray. She really has no beautiful song to sing, just a “coocoo.” Yet, she is content with her purpose and beautiful in her own way. She doesn’t sit in her nest wondering why she isn’t. She’s happy because she is.  

The robin, pulling worms from the dirt, doesn’t declare he’s not good enough because he can’t fly as high as the eagle. He’s happy being who he is.  

The frog does not desire to quit being a frog because he wants to have wings. He’s content being a frog.  

The robin does not desire to change who and what she is because she isn’t as pretty as the blue bird. The finch doesn’t declare injustice because its nest is not as big as the robins. The buck deer doesn’t wonder what his role is.  

Even the simplest of creatures know what they are and what they need to do. Nature understands. Apparently, humans do not. We have perverted our own beauty and purpose for existence. 

In a world turned completely upside down, there’s a lot we can learn from a walk on the farm. The smallest of creatures and the things we pay so little attention to can teach us a lot.