Although I consider myself a morning person -- I have much more energy at 6 a.m. than 6 p.m. -- there are many things about the evening and nighttime that I also like.
I was reminded of that recently when my husband, Brian, and 5-year-old daughter, Ellen, were roasting marshmallows in the fire pit on the east side of our farmstead. We were facing the only opening in the grove that surrounds the farmstead and I noticed how many different shades of green there were in the fields, shelterbelts and farmsteads I could see in the distance. I counted at least six.
The shades that I had seen hundreds, probably even thousands, of times before they caught my eye, highlighted by the evening sun, which cast a soft light over them and the black soil, red buildings and tree trunks in my line of vision. Up close, the leaves on our farmstead grove looked bright green in the summer evening light, but the neighbor's grove a couple of miles away appeared dark and dusky.
Soon, dust from grain chaff will hang in the air, giving the landscape a hazy look and soften the bright yellow of the wheat stubble and sunflower heads into a burnished gold.
Because I don't have hay fever or allergies I like drinking in the dusty, slightly musty scent of the grain harvest. That scent along with newly mowed grass, are two of my favorite summer smells. The smell of the harvest reminds me of growing up on the farm and the grass fragrance signifies it's summer, an all-too-fleeting season for northern Plains residents.
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Tastes
Besides the sights and scents of evenings on the farm, I also take pleasure in the opportunity they afford to partake of delightful tastes.
For example, because summer evenings are cool, they're a good time to pick our garden vegetables and fruit. Raspberries, straight off of the bushes, are one of the best combinations of sweet-tart around and carrots, pulled from the ground and wiped on a pant leg to remove the dirt, are one of my children's favorite treats.
And what's a better summer evening meal than hot dogs roasted over a fire made from sticks gathered in the grove, topped off by s'mores for dessert? Although, Brendan, Thomas and Ellen can't understand it, there's no such thing in my book as a marshmallow that's too charred. I don't mind crunching through the bitter black layer to get to the gooey white stuff underneath.
When more formal fare is on the menu, I think that it also tastes better under the evening sky. Sitting on a patio eating bites of fresh fruit skewers, grilled shrimp and some decadent chocolate dessert in between sips of a fruity beverage is one of life's little pleasures.
But while evening has many features that I like, I also appreciate it for some of the things it typically lacks. One of them is wind. That's especially the case after a day of ferocious gusts that whip the 100-year-old cottonwood trees about like they are saplings. Absolute stillness or a gentle breeze that barely rustles the leaves is welcome relief.
No bugging
Another thing that I don't miss in the evening is the flies. They don't seem to like it when the sun starts to go down and usually cease biting. This is a bonus if you have to work outside. It also is much easier on the horses. Apparently the flies can't read because even though I spray them with something that is supposed to keep the flies off of them for two weeks, during the day they keep on biting. In the evening they quit biting whether I have sprayed the horses or not.
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The lack of flies makes it an ideal time to take the horses out for a ride. Zammie's or Isabell's back is a perfect place to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the evening. I can even bring a chocolate bar along so I don't miss out on the tastes.
