Dear Cousin,
The fall winds are blowing! And the cooling breezes feel wonderful up on the mountain while we work. I love the month of September. Finally summer’s heat slowly gives way to the cooler days of fall. Each morning you can lift your windows and let some fresh morning air drift in and across the floors, and chill your toes. Before too long the air conditioner can be turned off and the house regulated with just cool morning air flowing in, and shades to keep the bright sun of midday out.
Up in the pastures the first of the September wild flowers are blooming. Of course we consider them weeds. The goldenrod is out, and the timeless purple of heal-all is all about the pastures.
These are my favorite September flowers. Sometimes I can’t resist keeping a few of them along the ditches as I weed eat.
The iron weed we have cut like crazy and I have noticed many of the farmers are losing pasture to a three to four foot tall weed, that blooms a yellow flower that I can’t identify in my Audubon field guide to North American wildflowers. I’m sure the local farmers must know what you call it. But we fight it constantly.
It will take over pastures if let go and it’s hard to cut! Once it’s down the cows can get to the good grass below. The kids have been helping us cut the pastures, it’s tough work!
This morning cuz, my Bible reading was in Ecclesiastes chapter three. And in the old King James it reads: “To everything there is a season, and time to every purpose under the heaven: (Now is weed cutting, hay cutting and baby calf selling.) A time to be born, (that was spring) and a time to die: (losing our old cat) a time to plant, (that’s the garden in spring) and a time to pluck up that which is planted: ( that’s the ground hog stealing our corn) A time to kill, (in the old days there was hog killing time here on this farm: and a time to heal: (we are still treating the goats hurts) a time to break down, (this year it was better half’s taking down a dangerous old shed) and a time to buildup: (here it’s the old rock walls built by the CCC boys in the ’30s we keep rebuilding) A time to weep, ( sometimes the pain is unbearable) and a time to laugh: (watching grandkids) and a time to mourn, (as this last great generation passes away) and a time to dance; (doctors have found that dancing is a great and possibly the best exercise for old people) And it reminds me of how when an Indian was sick the medicine man would ask him when was the last time he danced or the last time he sang. I can’t wait to get to heaven so we can dance with Jesus!
“A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together:” Here we gather stones and fill in bad washes, cave holes and sinkholes. We cast them away off the pastures, and on to the road. “A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing:” This generation needs to learn this rule. Wait till you’re married to embrace, it will be worth it. “A time to get and a time to lose: a time to keep, a time to cast away:’ When you are young, you try to gather up what you need to run a household, decorate a home, build a workshop, get your tools together and when you’re old you see it’s time to start cleaning out and giving away;
“A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak:’ Here the farm socks tear open so often and it’s time to mend them back together. And this generation could learn the benefits of silence, putting the phone down and sitting in nature, listening to the birds and thinking before they speak. We all could learn to do that cuz.
“A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Jesus said to “Love one another” this is a new commandment we should all follow. And we should hate sin, and the deeds of sinners, the wickedness that is so rampant in our world. We must declare war on this wickedness. In our day there was a war on drugs. I believe our enemies would love to destroy all our young people with deadly drugs. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we desire peace, while the devil desires despair, murder, evil and chaos.
Cuz, I was shown a great truth, Moses brought the law, but it was only Joshua, which means Savior, could bring the children into the Promised Land. The law cannot bring us into the Promised Land, only the Savior.
Until next week, keep looking up.
“Cuz tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of 9/11-We will never forget!”
RJ Kennedy
