Rainy Days and Thursdays

It was a rainy day Thursday.  

The combine needed repairs so since the rain would have kept us out of the field anyway, Gary could put on the new part and have everything ready for the next dry day.

But rain, a steady rain, and colder temps, made for a blue day.  Kinda melancholy.
  
*Watching Gary working on the combine and hearing him say that he just wants the corn head to work for another day and a half - the last harvest

*Standing in the machine shed and seeing the sign for Gerald Weltzin and thinking about 40 years ago when I first came into the family and Uncle Bud and Auntie Ann did all of the farming together.  She always worked right along side of him, and she is probably smiling down on us as we are there together, with me holding the light for Gary and handing him the wrenches he needs.

*Listening to Agnes around noon with the grandkids.  Landon, Tessa, and Owen are running around, making noise, she is trying to interact, and it is so hard for her.

*Alex stopped to visit.  When he went into the living room to say hello, she said 'Love you guys' because she thought it was Blaine and they were leaving.  When she realized it was Alex, we could hear her tone change and she was excited that he had stopped to see her.  When she said, "If I am still here, I won't be able to go to your wedding, but I will be thinking about you that day."  So sad, mainly because she probably won't be here.  His wedding is in September.

*When I came back to the machine shed with a late lunch from The Patio, Gary had pulled the pick up into the shed and set up a makeshift picnic table on the tailgate.  We sat there and ate our sandwiches, a cheeseburger for me and a tenderloin for him, and he talked a little about missing his dad...and my dad. Raindrops were pinging on the metal roof, there was a chill in the air, and cold tears were streaming down my face.  Dad would have loved everything about being there on the farm.  He really enjoyed visiting with Ann and Bud there. And of course Leo has always been there with Gary through every planting and every harvest---except this one.

*When I left to go home, I stopped at the cemetery.  Soon Gary pulled up behind me.  As I looked at the gravestone glistening with rainwater, I could hear Leo talking about how many days it would take to finish the corn, compare the fields we had left to what the neighbors had, re-figure the bushels per acre a few times, just to be sure....and the tears streamed again.

 

My dad - gone for nearly 7 year.  I know he is proud of me, proud of Gary, and happy with the life I chose.  He loved the farm as much as we do.

 

Leo - gone for 6 months.  His presence is felt every day, especially during the harvest season.  He is missed by all of us.

 


Agnes - so sad to watch her decline.  The girls have been to visit several times in the last couple of weeks with the kids, and I hope they realize how limited her time with us is.  She loves the visits with everyone; she is lonely and has only the television for company (if she doesn't push the wrong buttons and shut it off until someone can fix it for her again). 

 

Since it is 12:05 a.m. it is now Friday!  And the sun will come out!  Yes, it will.