Look What the Wind Blew In

At the farmers' markets on Saturday it was pretty warm; a typical summer day.  I was glad I was dressed in layers because by 11am it was in the mid-80's and I had stripped down to a t-shirt and jeans.  It was clearly still summer in Virginia.  By Noon, I was convinced the weather man was a liar.  There was no way it was going to be cool and fall-like on Sunday.

After we finished with the markets, Daniel and I headed to Tuckahoe to check on the new heifer calves before heading back to Cartersville.  By the time we left Tuckahoe, my jeans were rolled up and my shoes were off.  I clearly had not dressed appropriately for Summer's last hurrah.  Before we made it home, I was already thinking that I should plan on shorts for Sunday.

 Fall this year came in on the coattails of a crisp equinoxal breeze. Overnight, while the world was fast asleep, Autumn  made her debut.  Like the belle of the ball, she had stolen the show.  With her, she brought cool crisp air, un-cloudy skies, and a longing for hearty fall comfort foods and a fire in the woodstove.

 I again packed away my shorts and, instead, donned a warm sweater and a pair of boots I hadn't worn since early spring. We dusted off the stock pot, I dug up my lamb chili recipe and we let the pot simmer on the stove until we were done with the cattle.  And then, we ate, drank and laughed. Fall has finally arrived. 

Lamb Chili:

1 lb ground lamb. 

1 medium onion, chopped

A bit of salt and pepper

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can diced tomatoes (or fresh diced tomatoes if you can still get your hands on some)

2 large cans of tomato juice

1 tbs chili powder (more if you like it spicier) 

1 tbs brown sugar. 

Brown lamb and onion in a large stock pot with a bit of salt and pepper. 

Add beans, tomato juice, tomatoes, chili powder and brown sugar.  Stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer....at least 20 minutes (we usually do several hours) 

 

Snickers

Before I jumped off the high when I was a kid, a friend's older sister gave me some advice.  She told me to walk to the end of the board, close my eyes, think of my favorite candy and then jump.  After I willed myself up the ladder, I drug my heels to the edge of the board, closed my eyes and thought, "Skittles."

I spent the rest of the day racing up the ladder and careening off the high dive.  The advice my friend's sister gave me has held true throughout my life. The anticipation and expectations we create in our heads before a new experience are often the hardest part of that experience.

As a livestock farmer, you hardly see a day pass without something happening that you haven't seen before.

Today, I closed my eyes, sat down at the computer screen and thought, "Snickers."