If I were going to sing a song to summer's end, surely I would choose these lyrics:
Leaves are falling all around, it's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go, the autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way. *
Watching leaves fall and wisk across the ground yesterday in the strong winds summoned these lyrics forth like some magic genie, and all the thoughts and emotions wrapped in those few short sentences have been bound up in events just this past week. Anybody that's up before dawn has surely noticed the autumn moon, a brilliance not seen often, the moon like some shimmering, decadent fruit suspended just out of reach, changing the way you view reflected light forever.
And autumn rain has been in the air this week too, and the smell is different than the muggy, humid summer shower smell, just as the smell of smoke is different - in winter it attracts you, but in summer it repels you, as if the poles of your magnet were flipped on their head. But the smell of autumn rain conjures up something different altogether, it's the smell of dormancy and decay, of cold winds and winter just over the northern horizon - the smell of pain, and it's headed our way.
So to you dear summer, we are truely obliged for such a pleasant stay.
At the farm we did get a good soaking rain, good for the clover fields but bad for the planned tour Sunday. If you didn't receive the e-mail and were signed up to attend hopefully you read this, as we are rescheduling the event for Saturday, October 9th which is a week after the close of the Cherry Street market. Actually, this will work out better because we should have 2 just farrowed litters, so the kids can see pigs of all ages, plus we get to visit with you guys after the market season is over.
Dottie's pigs seem to be adjusting to their new surroundings and spend almost all day grazing. In the photo below you can see how well the clover is emerging after we cut the winter rye:
And here's a shot of Geez and Myfoot's pigs looking like they're on an Easter egg hunt:
At the market tomorrow we'll be fairly loaded, except we didn't get our order of brat dawgs or shaved ham, but come the last market day on October 2nd we'll have it all plus some ham and shoulder roasts and some more Arkansas bacon. Come see us tomorrow, and we'll have more flyers on the winter market to pass out. Thanks for reading!
Pork & Greens
* Lyrics from "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin