We have had a fun time this year observing the field behind our backyard. As is typical here in the Midwest - one year is soybeans and the next year corn. We especially enjoy when corn has been planted. Even though it is quite a distance to the subdivision on the other side of the field, the corn forms the most beautiful fence.
We have been wondering when the farmer will harvest the field... and it is today.
I am excited about God's Great Harvest that I am involved in.It is incredible to see all that He is doing.
(This is a Mt. Airy Dwarf Fothagilla plant in our backyard. I love the colors in the foliage)
We are having exceptional weather in Chicagoland.
As I was driving home from O’Hare Airport yesterday, it was 76 degrees (on November 3)!
The weatherman reported that the night’s low temperature (54 degrees) was just two degrees lower than the normal high temperature.
Today is supposed to be in the 70s again. Believe me, I’m not complaining. I am “SOAKING.” Soaking up this great weather, because winter is coming. (Kinda reminds me of the election reports today, winter may be coming).
The American Meteorological Society's Glossary of Weather an
d Climate defines IndianSummer as:
"A time interval, in mid- or late autumn, of unseasonably warm weather, generally with clear skies, sunny but hazy days, and cool nights. In New England, at least one killing frost and prefe
rably a substantial period of normally cool weather must precede this warm spell in order for it to be considered a true "Indian summer."
This is my favorite season.I love the Fall.The colors are spectacular, the nights are cool,the days are mild.And Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) is just days away.
(close up of the fothagilla leaf)
I was in New York and Connecticut this past weekend, the foliage was spectacular there as well.
I had to take a few pictures of some the beautiful leaves and trees.Now, you need to be warned, my pictures are nowhere as good as my daughter, Jill’s pictures.But I wanted to publish a few.
I love how God's Word directs us to focus on the seasons.
Exodus 23:16 “Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.“Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields.
But we recognize that there are meteorological seasons and there are spiritual seasons.I am praying concerning this "SEASON" that the United States of America is in.
Daniel 2:17b-22
Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said:
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
The weatherman is calling for a hard freeze tonight and even colder tomorrow, so I went out at 10 PM, dodged the coyotes (we have had two that haveshown up in our backyard almost every day for the past 7 days) and picked the last apples on the apple tree. It was 36 degrees, spitting rain (with some snow pellets mixed in), wind chill is 28.
Here's the last of the apples. They are so crisp and sweet. You just have to quarter them and remove the "protein." I guess that makes them ORGANIC apples.
On Thursday, my friend Parker Rittgers and I drove back from downstate Illinois and we must have seen at least 100 combines bringing in the corn and soybeans.
This is such a beautiful time of the year.
We have been monitoring the cornfield behind our house.
I expect that in the next couple of day, it will be harvested as well. Here is a picture we took right after church today.
I am thankful God is using Joy and me in HIS harvest.
