by Heather Lang
You know the age-old saying, “This is just the calm before the storm,” that some may preach to you when everything seems to be falling into place in your life. That particularly rough-around-the-edges person is being polite and even nice to you. The moment when your children are actually quiet and playing nice together without arguing. That moment when you take a deep breathe while having a sense of calm come over you. You smell the rain in the air, you listen to the wildlife, you reflect and feel like you are just living in the moment.
At our farm, calm is not exactly the word I’d use to describe what happens before the storm. It is in that moment we feel a need to rush to the fields still needing to be planted so the seeds get moisture right away. Our weather apps on the smart phones are our best friend because we can track the storm every inch of the way. My husband puts in even longer days than the 16-18-hour days he already works. It is very rush, rush.
Farmers and ranchers only have a limited amount of time to get everything in the field and everything factors into the timeline: when the ground warms up, if we have all the repairs done to the tractors to start the planting season, the weather, if our seed gets here in time, how many breakdowns we have, if we get rain, if we don’t get rain and so on.
As a farm wife, rain days mean that my kids and I actually get to see my husband, their dad, for longer than 10 minutes a day. Rain storm days mean that I might be able to make a dent in my household “to do” list that has been thrown to the way side for the past several weeks.
Rain means my family will probably be able to enjoy a homecooked meal TOGETHER at the family table!! Rain means I will have time to enjoy a cup of coffee with my hubby. I soak up rain days and all they include because soon enough all that will change again.
Rain days have been few and far between here in North Dakota for a couple years, as we sit in a drought for most of the state. So, rain days are needed. They are appreciated. They are what allows our farm to stay in operation for one more year. They are hopeful. They are a blessing. Pray for rain.