This is always my favorite time of the year.  My cows are about done calving and the grass is getting greener.  The weather is getting warmer but not unbearably hot.  The recent moisture also helps me feel rejuvenated and optimistic.  As I write this, it’s a pretty spring day and I wish I could find something to do outside.  It’s also that time of the year where those working in agriculture go from 0-90 mph until the fall.

It’s going to get, wicked busy with brandings, planting, spraying, harvests and all those things that we hate to love to do (or love to hate to do) until we are exhausted and ready for a break in the fall.  It can get overwhelming in a hurry.  That’s why I just wanted to take this time to encourage everyone to take a little time this season to stop every now then and enjoy the process. 

I remember a couple years ago getting up early to start drilling wheat.  It was the last field and we had been going at it hard.  My wife went out with me so she could ride the drills when it was coming down to the end of the field.  (I know.  One lucky girl!)  So as the sun was coming up that morning, the sunrise was just beautiful and it became a moment where we were just happy to be where we were at and doing what we were doing.  Since it was a Sunday, it was our church service for the day. We still talk about how cool that moment really was.

Probably more often than not, there are moments like that throughout the year that we just never take the time to appreciate. We take for granted the fun parts of working in ag like the gathering of a branding crew, a newborn calf sucking, or the feel of a good horse.  To each of us it’s something different.  I know what it’s like to get caught up in your work and not take time to slow down and enjoy the work. 

So once in a while just stop for a second, take a deep breath, and survey the horizon.  Listen to the subtle things that are going on around you and take in nature. It’s the journey and not the destination that makes life grand and it’s the little things we overlook that keep us from seeing the whole picture.