Lee University

In The Farmland, February 2006  (Cont.)

Growing up on a Midwest farm, one of the best bonuses was having a garden with peas, string beans, leaf lettuce, corn and of course, a good supply of potential fried chicken walking around the yard! My parent’s garden was big enough to feed half our church membership - and did most years - but I tried to hold my ground in this backyard.

Looking across the early soybeans, we see the older Esrey family farmhouse. It’s seen better days and its occupants don’t farm anymore. They either work at the Purina Farm Center or help out as farmhands around the area.

A small local passes by on the ridgecut behind the Esrey place. (My friend, Rick, from Portland, was concerned with the amount of overgrowth in the area, so he gave me a saw mill. I gave it to the Esreys, but as you can see, they did a little work, but obviously, by its lack of activity now, they just got “board” with it, I suppose.)

“Country Churches” are a special part of the American panorama. Here we see Shady Grove Church, nestled in the trees and obviously a long time fixture for many families over the years.

This is one sign that has remained the same for decades . . .

Not surprisingly, it seems that Pastor Olen and Syble are off on another visit to a sister church somewhere in the world. It appears that Syble is double-checking to see that she packed that EMPTY suitcase she always takes along for “special needs”. Can you say “Shop till you drop” in Romanian?

When fall approaches, there will be a roar of activity at the elevator. Trucks by the dozen will pull in with grain to unload, but now, it’s pretty quiet. Most of the workers are probably over at Mrs. Tinsley’s Route 22 Cafe enjoying pie and coffee. In a few months, there won’t be time for chit-chat. When harvest comes in, there are many days the elevator operates 24 hours around the clock. God Bless the American Farmer.

Trains:  Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

Page 1 - Box Canyon Layout
Page 2 - Any Time, Any Spring Disclaimer
Page 3 - Starting Over, December 2003
Page 4 - March, 2004
Page 5 - June, 2004
Page 8 - Layout Design
Page 9 - August, 2004
Page 11 - January, 2005
Page 16 – January, 2005 Redux
Page 17 – First Day of Summer, 2005
Page 20 – August, 2005
Page 21 - In the Farmland, February 2006
Page 23 - Layout Potpourri, February 2006
Page 25 - In the Cornfields, 2006
Page 27 - July, 2006
Page 30 – November, 2006
Page 33 - MARCH, 2007 – A Break In The Action