Springtime Peace on the Farm

The cows have stopped their fussing, eaten their hay, and bedded down with their calves in the pasture grass. They lay south of the haystacks to be out of the blast of the cold evening air. The wind which blew mercilessly all day. The treetops are swaying and rustling just a bit, but the cold is felt after so much spring rain.

We wrap a blanket around our shoulders and go out into the dark farm night.

Finally, after the wind, there is peace.  Peace on the farm. An owl call from the creek bank and is directly answered from another from the trees around the pond back of the orchard. Soon they are conversing with calls and who-whos and we smile at the notes they throw in their little exposition.

Treefrogs keep up a steady calming rhythm––a chorus that rises and falls like the washing waves against a boat left tied to a pier. An adagio that never crescendos or dies out just sings a steady easy song. Cicadas and crickets join the music and a leafhopper in the crape myrtle bushes beside the porch adds his trill too.

A coyote sets up a whopping at the clouds passing darkly and quickly across the paperwhite circle of the moon. His crew joins in until the whole clearing fills with their yipping, howls, and barks. It is an amazing and almost comical Capriccio to the night’s program. Those coyotes seem to be laughing at some unknown joke or perhaps just laughing at us sitting still to listen on the porch swing.

Our firelight comes from a wood fire in our firepit stove. We watch it flicker and dance to the nocturnal concerto. In a while, one of us will get up slowly and add another stick of firewood. Sparks will fly upward like unspoken prayers.

The night is peaceful even with the distant barking of dogs at neighboring farms, the tree frogs, coyotes, owls, and the creak of the porch swing all these things add to the peace on the farm.

Peace; sometimes we mothers must track it down––find it––make it–– feel it. We need to know it and hold onto it a while. The worries and work of the day melts and it heals us.

Carry a sweater, Momma, leave your phone, your watch, and your troubles to go sit outside a while of an evening.

Go listen to God’s medley–– His chorus, His cantata of creation. Your soul needs it. Let your mind rest as the moon rises in the star-studded sky and wind dances with the treetops.

Whether you have peace on the farm or find peace in the city…seek it out.  Peace. Sit and drink it in. Find it.

Elece Hollis is a mother to seven and grandmother to 24. She lives in Oklahoma where she is retired from homeschooling. She is a freelance writer and a photographer and helps her husband tend their eighty-acre farm with the cows and a pecan orchard.

Elece is the author of several books with a new book The Heart of Spring––Prayers for Teachers,  Her other two most recent books are What’s Good about Home! And  Life With Mama. These can be found on Amazon.