Who wakes up first on the farm? Is it the farm wife who is out early to collect eggs to use in the morning breakfast? Is it the farm husband who is calling in the cows to be milked? Is it the farm kids who bound down the steps from their bedrooms and out the door to get the chores done quickly so they can have the rest of the day to play?
Unfortunately, those images are from days past. I think you would be hard pressed to find a farm like this anymore, especially in the Upper Plains of the US. But that is what I remember from my days at Gramma and Grampa's farm outside of Luverne MN. It seemed like the work never ended for anyone on that farm. Gramma, in my view, worked harder than the rest of them. Oh sure, the men worked physically harder, but my Gramma never sat down all day. After breakfast for everyone, she would get the dishes done and start making whatever was on the menu for lunch. Now remember, lunch to us in the Midwest is what you eat in between breakfast, dinner and supper. So it was a slice of cake or pie for everyone at 9AM. Then the men would leave and Gramma would get out her broom, sweep the floor, do dishes yet again and then start thinking about what was for dinner. But also doing laundry and making beds and tidying up the rest of the house too. Then it was noon meal, lunch, supper and then a bowl of ice cream before bed. In my allergy stricken youth I spent all day in the house with Gramma, not being helpful in any way, shape or form. But I know that she had her eye on me and I tried my best to just keep out of the way!
Life on the farm now is drastically different. The first one awake on Blue Tin Ranch in the summer are the birds!! I love having the window open all night and being woken up by the cacophony of bird song at 5AM. They really are so joyful and happy to be alive, before the sun even peaks a ray onto earth. As for the rest of us, well, we may not be singing our joy until much later in the day, but I always have the birds to start my day off right!
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