Experiencing Autumn

Autumn is here with cooler temperatures and some needed moisture. The wood shed is nearly full which will supply us with warmth all winter. I have several projects to do yet outside before the snow flies, like building Spud a larger shelter and dividing the winter pen so the llamas don’t have to be with him. They do not like the horse. I also need to get two ton of hay to carry them through the winter; hopefully it is not as long as last year.

This year the freezer is full of elk meat which Ardella harvested last week. We haven’t had elk for thirteen years so we are very thankful for the great organic meat. The game we harvest is processed at home so we know the meat in the freezer is ours. It took us two days to cut and wrap the elk with the help of the family. The grand daughters helped by labeling each package so they realize where the meat came from. Hunting is criticized by some people but I believe it ties us back to the land and some basics of life.

Fall is a season of preparation for the long winters of north Idaho. It is my favorite time to be in the woods learning what the animals doing. The white tail bucks are starting to rub trees and paw ground scrapes so the rut is probably about two weeks away. I have located two nice bucks by their tracks that are using creek bottoms grown thick with brush. That’s why they are big and I will spend some time trying to figure them out.

Many people are preparing for winter knowing it is creeping closer and will pounce on them before they know it. Unfortunately, few people prepare their spiritual life by knowing Jesus as their personal savoir. Jesus waits to give them eternal life; it’s a free gift. He bought it on the cross.