Little is more calming than hearing the groan of snow under each fall of a bovine’s hoof when all else in the countryside seems to have hunkered into shelters for warmth during a cold winter morning.
That the full Snow Moon was making iced diamonds twinkle in the farmyard — on the snow-covered soil and in the trees — made this early morning all the more calming.
Such moments arrive peacefully in farm country, if we’re willing to stop and hear the cows chewing their cud. But we know it’s a challenge to find the time to stop, even during winter’s depths.
There should be time this time of the year to even go beyond a simple stop to listen to the cattle and to absorb the countryside’s wonders. Somehow, though, it never seems to work out that way and the time for meetings and reviews of business plans too often is covered by the chores that need to be done in the moment.
The cows can’t wait, after all.
The meeting season progresses and the bankers, crop-insurance specialists, nutritionists and agronomists all remind us that this truly is the best time of the year to attend to things that can considered during any down-time a farmer might find in a daily schedule. Anyone who knows the sounds of the snow groaning under the cattle’s hooves knows the difficulties in finding that time; appreciative are those among us who understand and revere those who meet the challenge.
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