An Army of Sentinels

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Raked and rolled before the air turned cold and the days became shorter, these bales of harvest hay lay tall in the early morning sunlight awaiting the onslaught of man’s progress at the nearest property adjacent to them. Already foundation work has began, but these sentinels guard their field like it was their last stand..and it may well be. Urban sprawl pushes farther and farther outward, engulfing the natural terrain and man-made abundance contained within her.

 

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Regardless if there is a pasture of a hundred bales or simply a few, the significance is real. They are used as feed for livestock, ground covering for grass seed and even erosion control for the construction which will one day occupy this patch of green earth. In the meantime they will silently stand watch over the hallowed ground bequeathed to them for however long they have. For their charge to protect was without days or years. They will be missed when their job is over. They are worthy of our respect.

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Now that daylight extends beyond the darkness, companion growth accompanies the hay as if joining a symphony. Lilies of all sorts are cropping up pell mell and berry bushes are beginning to show signs of vigor. Trees are budding. Spring is certainly on her way. I’ve always lived in places with four seasons. I don’t know what it would be like not to. I suppose both have their pluses and minus’. Whichever temperate zone you live in, I believe there is a plethora of beauty to experience…so go to it !

Rolled

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Did you “roll out of bed” this morning? Have you ever “rolled your own”? How about “rolled your eyes” at something someone said that you have heard a dozen times before ? As a child did you “roll down hills” or perhaps, played skeet ball or boccie ball where you “rolled a ball”  hoping to have it land at a specific spot? Have you witnessed one sports team “roll over” another in a lop-sided competition ? A funny sight is to watch a lone vehicle tire “roll down a street” for a long distance as if it had a driver.  Then there is the song “Rollin’ Down the River”…not sure how one does that, but it’s a great song. CCR and Tina Turner made it memorable. And, who can forget “roller skates”?

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A farmer rolled these round bales of hay. Actually, they are rather large and heavy. After his tractor rake gathers the hay and his baling machine rolls the hay, they are wrapped in a fiber net to hold them together. When a roll is moved a tractor with a long pointed pole impales the center and hauls it off to feed livestock.

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This year produced a productive crop of hay and bales. When you see an entire field of many acres dotted with these round bales, it appears as though they lined up to fight or to play a game of sorts. Imagine this scene fifty times larger.

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As you can tell, Autumn is beginning to reveal herself in the Midwest. Foliage is changing colors, the days are getting shorter, and the temperatures are starting to drop. This is also harvest time for several crops. The squirrels are going crazy stockpiling their winter food source which can be in a hundred places per squirrel. I’ve always wondered how they know exactly where they buried their nuts and seeds. They are fun to watch. In conclusion, I completely enjoy this season, and hope you do, too.