Chris Hardie

Dotted across our rural landscape are haunting vestiges of what once was. Each place has a story. And that’s why abandoned properties always draw my curiosity.

Nothing says summer nights more to me than the call of the whip-poor-will, which instantly takes me back to my childhood and listening to the bird as I drifted off to sleep.

Finally, when it seems like we may catch a break with some warm weather to tackle all those long-delayed outside projects, we are nailed by gnats.

Spring is the season of birth on the farm and in nature. Our farm is home to many deer; late May or early June is when does give birth.

Phenology, the study of the timing of biological events in plants and animals in relation to change in season and climate, is a familiar concept for most farmers.

Most things with our minds and bodies decline as we get older, but stubbornness can actually increase with age. At least, it does in my case.

Find your purpose and pursue it with passion. You can drift through life or set your own course. It’s okay to not know now what you’ll know later. There’s always room in life for excellence and for people who make a difference.

One sign that spring has arrived is when I realize that no matter how many hours I try to squeeze into the day it just isn’t long enough to finish my work.

Nettles, one of the first green plants in the spring, are a welcome sight after a long, harsh winter. Just be careful to avoid their sting.

A few weeks a year, we’re trapped in the no man’s land between winter and spring. On the farm, it’s time to clean the barns and the winter feeding areas.