Rained Out

Is rain a good thing, or a bad thing?  I guess it's all about perspective, I guess!  When I lived in the city, rain was a nusiance or bad thing.  It was messy.  My shoes got dirty.  My car got dirty.  It made grass grow so that somebody had the chore of cutting the grass again.

On a farm, the perspective is definitely not the same!  Here at the farm, rain is much wanted!  It cleans the fleece on the sheep after a dusty dry spell.  Soft rainwater cleanses the fleeces, making them soft.  The sheep shake off extra water, fluffing up those lovely locks, making a spinner notice each fleece's beauty.  Rain perks up the garden.  It kick starts the pastures for longer and more nutritious grazing.  It replenishes ground water.  It softens the soil.  It gives the shepherd a break from hard work outside.  There are so many benefits, one can't help but be thankful for a rainy day, especially after a long dry spell.

Part of our booth

Today, we had lots of rain.  It started gently falling yesterday.  The air is warm and a light fog is hanging above the ground.  The trees are beginning to turn their brilliant autumn colors, with the sumac turning fiery russet reds.  It's beautiful.  As I walk around the farm with Swifty happily running along, I sense oxygen in the air and I just want to breathe deeply.  The air feels so fresh.  I don't want to come inside, yet I look forward to my rainy day time in the house.

I was listening to a talk show host on national t.v. lately, joking about what NOT to tweet about...weather.  It was funny in the context of the show and the topic they were on.  But right away, I began to think about the differences of how I thought of rain over the years of my life, depending on where I lived.  I have found that urban people are not that interested in talking about weather much these days.  When I go to gatherings with more urban people, I don't talk weather much, or try not to as I don't want to be boring.   However, when I attend events with a rural presence, weather is very much an important and dominant topic.  Weather is so important to our economy, food supply, and daily living.  On a farm, you notice the changes of the weather, and how the land, animals, and plants respond.  You notice little things that are actually big things...things that can mean making it or not on the farm.  Good weather gives you bounty, if you plan for it.  Bounty gives you strength to survive bad weather, if you plan for it.  

It may have been a rain out today, but I feel as refreshed as the grasses out there in the pastures...more upright, ready to grow.  I feel as though I've flung off the fatigue of weeks in a row of hard work outside in the heat and bugs.  The edge of weeks of working without rest have softened in the gray skies and temporary slower pace.  

We hope you had a nice day indoors today!  Hopefully in the weeks to come, the rain will come during the week.  Don't forget to check out our Etsy shop if you'd like to buy yarn before the next market!