Country Rows in June

After a cold and snowy winter and unusually rainy spring, farmers are soaking in the June sunshine and working in the fields at a frantic pace.

I, though, took a break from the barn cleaning, mowing, and gardening to admire the country rows of June.

The grass is so high along the lane that Tag stays on the gravel on our morning and evening walks.

The farmer plowed a test-strip in a field the other day. Earlier this week, several farmers, anxious to begin the planting season, buried their equipment in mud.

The man who farms for us, focused on making hay while he waited for the fields to dry enough for plowing. One of the greatest summer joys is walking through the hay fields -- first when they're cut, then when they're raked and prepared for baling. With dogs in tow, I take in the wide open spaces and inhale deeply the sweet smells of hay.

I, too, made my own country row. The sheep and horses cannot keep the spring pastures under control. The five-acre pasture is made into hay while the other 1-acre paddocks are mowed.

I walk much during these days of June when most mornings are cool and the rows are many.