Monday, July 16, 2012


The farm is an interesting place
you can see many animals living on the
edges of the fields and woodlots, sharing
the space with a plethora of machinery
some active and some kept for parts.
The animals are not wholly wild or wholly
tame, some like the birds, foxes and skunks
occupy the old buildings. It is the life we
have left them, a life on the margins. and an
evening stroll might lead to an encounter
with a piece of New Holland farm equipment
( shades of Swiss Family Robinson )
or a young buck.

The remnants of the old farm machinery
also fascinate me as I mentioned before.
I loved Ayn Rand's novel, Atlas Shrugged
when younger and even thought I am well
past any romantic view of the wonders
of industrialization I still read the old
trade names on the fading metal and
remember the images of industrialization and  
mechanization and it's attendant machines
running down as the world slides towards
John Galt's new Utopia.

" Cocked in that land tactile as leaves
wild things wait crouched in those valleys
west of your city outside your lives
in the ultimate wind, the whole land's wave.
Come west and see: touch these leaves."

                             Midwest
                                                 William Stafford











"Paddled in the bright grass, the old farm
Warm as a sack about me, feel the cold
Winds of the world blowing. The patched gate
You left open will never be shut again."

                                       Invasion on the Farm
                                                       R.S. Thomas


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The hayfield out back was mowed last week, too. I didn't see any wild life this year, we usually do.

That is a nice poem.

Lynn said...

Thank you for your warm welcome. The first three deer pictures were whimsical. The last shot was gorgeous. It is a smug feeling to track way back in the wild. Then to discover an old piece of equipment, a sled or an abandoned shoe is exciting. It’s a great leveler knowing it’s not as isolated as you thought and wondering how on earth it got back there in the first place. I’m so looking forward to more of your blog.

Guy said...

Hi Sandy

My brother in law spent quite a few hours working on his old New Holland haybine so he could get to his haying as well. The life of a farmer is full of a lot of hard work and challenges but the cubical is beautiful.

Once he got it working of course it started to rain for the first time in two weeks.

Guy

Guy said...

Hi Lynn

I am glad you liked the site. I do love the unexpected things you find walking on the farm. I went out one day looking for deer and found mating Gold Finches another day I wanted dragonflies but found a family of Wrens. And of course there are always the traces of past farms and the unexpected insects and plants
Two years ago a small marsh appeared in a field where it had never existed before complete with bulrushes and Kildeer.

Regards
Guy

Kathie Brown said...

A very poetic post in words and photographs. I love how you intespersed the shots of the deer with the machinery.

Guy said...

Hi Kathie

Thanks I am glad you enjoyed the post. I have to say I find the farm more interesting the more I explore it and I can see that the area of the cabin will be the same
as I get the chance to spend more time there.

Regards
Guy

Kathie Brown said...

Guy, so are the farm and the cabin on the same property?

Guy said...

Hi Kathie

They were both part of my father-in-laws farm. A few years ago we bought 80 acres of non farmable land from my wife's mother and brother. The cabin is a mile or more down the road from the farm house so we are very close. Which will be handy for laundrey.

Regards
Guy