Sky Kings Around The Farm

Summer is here for sure with crops reaching for the sky with growth I wouldn't believe if I hadn't watched it out my living room window. "Knee high by the 4th of July" is a term I've heard most of my life referring to corn growth, but the stuff around here is obviously on steroids. I guess the new term may need to be "Head high by the 4th...".

The lightning bugs entertain us evenings, when we can avoid the mosquitoes, and add a few temporary stars in the night sky. Living in the country has it's advantages when it comes to star gazing, but the last few nights, it's the Moon that commands attention. The clear skies and full Moon nearly turn the night into day.

Speaking of reaching for the sky, our old barn is perfect habitat for barn swallows. We never tire of the aerobatics that go on just outside our window. Of all the birds we see around the farm(stead), the barn swallows can't be beat for aeronautical maneuvering. I must admit that I always hope they don't collide with my head when I open the barn door... there have been numerous close calls.

Something us former city folk have not become completely accustomed to, is the crop dusters that take aim at the fields surrounding us. This morning was absolutely perfect for aerial crop spraying I bet, but the sound of a plane flying over our place at low altitude always gets our attention really quickly. Maybe I'll get over it someday, but that first pass always makes me hope it's not a plane about to fly in the window.