I first realized I wanted to become a writer when in the sixth grade my teacher Mrs. Sager posted my bird report on the bulletin board as one of the finest in the class. On top of that endorphin producer one of the girls in my class said to me as we read the posted reports, “Mike, you are a good writer.” That resulted in another shot of endorphins released only, seconds later! That experience was recorded and saved somewhere…..
We are in the middle of summer on our little acreage and the battle against nature is in full force. Unless you experience what nature can throw at you you’ll never fully understand what botanist go through attempting to bring plants to maturity. In other words gardening can be a frustrating job. I am reminded of the constant intrusion of nature every morning as I look out our living room window and watch the ‘big bully’ blue jays chase away…..
I’m a pumpkin farmer and as harvest time approaches I look back and realize there’s a battle going on in our profession. It’s not with the neighbors or the UPS man who occasionally visits. The spray planes that frequently buzz our house are even tolerated. The real battle is with all the little critters that are living among us and who assume we are renting space from them! The first critter to make life miserable for a pumpkin farmer are…..