Sunday, August 28, 2011

Listen, grasshopper

Listen, grasshopper
do you hear?
Fall is in the air.
I do hear, grasshopper replied.
Why do you think I'm in here?

This is a conversation that the grasshopper, found in my kitchen this morning, and I, shared.  He is still there- perched on top of the cabinet door.  I will allow him to stay for now.

We live simply on this little farm.  It is a small patch of land- one of my friends referred to it as "the farmette."  It is bordered by woods and road.  We have a large pole barn, a small red barn with side room (where the chickens are housed).

Growing up, I visited my paternal grandma's farm on weekends and loved the freedom of it.  She had acres of land with three barns, cows, lambs, corn, woods, orchard.  We could play and walk and roam.  We caught fireflies at night.  We ate watermelon in the yard, seated on metal chairs.  Voices carried from the next farm over.  One can understand why the concept of farm is a romantic notion that I cling to.  Comfort, safety and warm memories all relate to the word "farm."

We live unconventionally by some people's standards.  We do not have central air.  People sometimes gasp aloud when we tell them.  I suppose "roughing it" in such a manner is a horrifying idea to some.  I love feeling the breeze pouring through the windows.  At night we listen to the coyotes yip and the songs of chorus frogs and crickets.  This time of year it is the cacaphony of cicadas.  For the unbearably hot nights we have window air conditioners in our bedroom and the guest room.  When I asked a colleague if she enjoyed hanging out laundry and had to stifle a laugh when her response was "I like how the clothes smell but I don't like bringing in the bugs."  Bugs in the laundry are the least of my concern.  One day rushing around before heading to work something caught my eye.  It was bird poop on my shoulder.  Bugs I can handle.  Bugs can be shaken off, transported outdoors or stepped on.  I don't care to go to work sporting bird poop.

Fall is in the air.  I adore fall.  It is my favorite season.  I like fall best of all.  Indiana summers are long and hot, drenching us with its humidity.  Then one morning I head out the door and experience what I call "the ah of fall."  It is suddenly cooler and I pause for a moment and audibly say "ahhhhhh."  Temperatures are dipping in to the high fifties at night now and I have already paused to say "ahhh."  The chickens sense it and have begun to lay.  Another egg was found this morning. (In a nesting box, this time.)  A cricket in the shower this morning. 

Doug is cleaning out the chimney in the fireplace room as I write.  Most days, if it is cool enough to turn on the heat, we sit near the fire.  It is cozy and warm and the animals join us.  Our Corgi, Chelsea and the two cats.  I sit with laptop or we read or doze.  Some evenings we make dinner on the fire.  Friends enjoy coming over and sitting before the fire with us.  I have a date in October with two friends for fireplace sitting on my calendar, already. 

We have a lot of company who enjoy staying here at our little farm.  One of my friends from North Carolina came with her young daughter.  They opted to sleep that January night, not in the guest room, but in front of the fire on the pull out sleeper bed.  My friend even got up to stoke the fire during the night.  She said that for them, visiting with us was like going to camp. 

I'll take this life on this simple farm shared with spiders, crickets and grasshoppers.  The simplicity of it gives me joy.  When is the last time you had a conversation with a grasshopper?

8 comments:

Kris said...

Hi Cheryl,
Our farm is small...only 1acre. But we have lots of wildlife to contend with, and I love all of those things you mention. I have had to round up more than one lizard run amuk in our house. I simply could not do without a/c though!no how, no way!! We are on our waybackhomefrom visiting coastal town and watching themed urge seas we get closer to home. I am hoping to find an egg when I get home too! Yea for your girlies!!

Donna said...

I'm one of those friends who enjoys visiting your farm. Such an ideal location: Minutes from activity-filled Bloomington but deep in the country, too.
I haven't been up close with a grasshopper in a while but I go skinny dipping with a tree frog almost every night! As soon as I get my clothes off to get into the bathtub, I glance up and am still startled to see a naked (well, do they come any other way? NO) tree frog PLASTERED against the window over the tub, staring at me. A friend said they get in the window to snap up bugs that are there, attracted by the light.
Spring and summer are my favorite seasons because I love their promises, the carefree ease of movement without battling snow, sludge and heavy clothes. I don't like winter's cold toes and chills. I LOVE porch sitting late, late, late -- wringing every moment of daylight I can out of the warm months.
Yet fall always takes me by surprise, somehow, by how much I enjoy it too. Love that coolness you mention; the windows open with an extra blanket on the bed at the same time. Love the excitement of thinking about the holidays to come even more than the actual resulting holidays!
Thanks for reminding me not to be sad to see summer go because there is fall.

Chatty Crone said...

I will tell you this - they are harder then heck to catch!

Kris said...

Hi again. I came back to see what a mish mash I left on your comment section! I was typing with my ipad, and while hubby was driving. That never leaves a very good message. What sounds like on our way back home from visiting coastal town and watching themed urge seas...was SUPPOSED to say, on our way home from coastal town watching the mercury rise as we get closer to home. Wow...what a mess I typed!!!

ain't for city gals said...

It is so nice to read about someone else that LOVES where they live...somtimes I have to force myself to go somewhere...I think why?? ...

Holly said...

I rememeber that first "bite" in the air that you feel this time of year. When everything feels fresh and there's a chill to the air. Crisp. We still have a good month and a half of triple digits here. Grasshoppers freak me out.

John Going Gently said...

bugs
scare me to hell!!!!

Privet and Holly said...

Girlie, I
haven't had
a ONE this year.
I've heard that
a cricket in the
house is good
luck and I hope
it will be for
you : ) LOVE,
love the description
of your life. You
seem to live very
intentionally, which
I adore. As an older
mom, I am still in
the rush-rush phase
with chicks in the
nest. Our day will
come...and fireplace
sitting will be right
at the top of my list!
xx Suzanne

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