I have always been proud to say that I live in the country. Living in rural America is a pleasure and not a curse in my opinion. And as I make a 40 mile commute to work and back every day, I am blessed to see some of the simple pleasures in life.

I’ve never been much of a farmer myself, but I can’t tell you how much I enjoy seeing the processes that farmers go through to plant corn, soy beans, tobacco, or even cut and bale hay.

This past spring my good neighbors began cleaning out the fence row on their land that joins the road I travel daily in and out from my home. They didn’t plow the ground as what I used to see many years ago, they treated it to get rid of the weeds and then drilled the corn down into the ground. I was a little worried about one corner near a sink hole because it always grows up with kudzu, but it didn’t appear to be a problem at all. It only took a few days for those little seeds to pop up into spouts and it seemed like overnight the corn was ankle high. Then the corn began to tassel and I could see the ears growing on it. As the heat continued on into the summer, I saw the corn stalks begin to twist and wilt and I worried about how good the crop would turn out. I understand why people love to garden and watch crops grow because it truly is a miracle.

We had planned our last big camping trip of the season this Labor Day weekend, and I had planned on going straight to the park and bypassing home but then my husband reminded me he had forgotten something and needed me to run home and pick it up before coming to the park. When I neared the lane home, I saw a big cloud of dust, not knowing yet what it was I trudged on. There it was a big green tractor and a yellow combine taking the corn down. I knew that I was supposed to be there to see the corn. I had watched it grow all summer and this was my opportunity to see the last of the process. I traveled on down the road running over corn cobs, and I knew that summer was almost over, and from the looks of it the corn crop had turned out ok.

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity that was placed before me so I pulled over and took a few pictures of the nice green tractor and big yellow combine working away. I was ready for a long, carefree weekend and my thoughts immediately turned to all the farmers who work long hours out in the heat and late into the night, and my hat goes off to you!

We pulled in on Monday morning from the last of the big three holiday weekends and the farmers had cleared all the corn crop and all that was left was a few stubs left to view. Now you have increased my chances for seeing the deer. Many thanks to the Morrisons for allowing me the pleasure this summer of “watching their corn grow”! Tammy Waid McClellan