I know I’ve said it before, but I love this time of year – it’s invigorating. The sound of combines in the field; ladies taking PB&J sandwiches and coffee to the men who are harvesting and sitting on the tailgate for a few minutes to chat; the warmth of the sunshine on my face during my walks; sweatshirts and light jackets and jeans; the color of the trees and crunching of leaves under foot; chili and stews for dinner; the smell of cider and honey and cinnamon candles; the list could go on and on.

Where I live, once harvest is over farmers start fixing fence to put cow herds out to graze the corn stalks. Or, they go in with round balers and bale the stalks for feed. It’s just another “season” in Nebraska but it gives the bare fields a little beautification for the winter and just another thing that tops my list of favorite fall scenes.

In the 1920s, they had single-row riding stalk cutters with blades that turned and chopped the stalks into smaller pieces. That’s a little different than the combine my son gets to ride on with our neighbor. Listen to Grandpa as he describes his memories of this harvest time of year.

So to all the farmers working in the fields, to all of those fixing the equipment when it breaks down so they can get back out in the fields, to the women who understand and appreciate the long hours these farmers work in order to feed our families and our neighbors, I wish you a bountiful, safe harvest and say ‘Thank You’.

Until we walk again …