It’s funny how we look at our climate in appreciation – or annoyance. One day we want warm weather, then the next we are too hot. We want rain, but not THAT much. Although out of ou
r control, we sure would like to have a thermostat/humidity control to adjust to our desires.
Most annoying to me is the Kansas wind, especially on days like we’re having this week with gusts up to 45 mph. Working in the garden is equivalent to being in a sand blaster and days of this dries the soil. I tend to just be irritable in dealing with doors slamming in my face, garden pots flying across the yard and hair that looks like a 1950’s slick-back styling.
I should have much more tolerance for wind. After all, as the mechanism to move and distribute earth’s heat, it determines the very climate I live in. It is a tool man has learned to use in sailing ships and hot air balloons. It provides the ride for pollen, birds and insects. We can play in it via hang-gliders and with kites. It assists in maintaining air quality in our cities and we are beginning to take a serious look at using wind in producing power. And let’s not forget that it takes away the bad odors of feed lots and brings to us the sweet aroma of the blooming lilac bush. Often I am working in the garden in what seems unbearable heat, yet just a breath of air cools me and reminds me that wind is a blessing.
Other than the severe weather conditions that produce Kansas tornados or dust bowls, I hope to appreciate more the blessings of wind. The wind chimes provide a soft percussive resonance on the patio as they rock in a breeze this morning. Just a few evenings ago, I rocked in the porch swing at the farm as I watched the wheat turn, the breeze rustling the adjacent wheat field.
When I left the farm l
ast night, golden wheat swayed in the wind as it ripened and dried in preparation for harvest. Kelly Hunt’s “Heartland,” a beautiful musical tribute to some of our area’s qualities, expressed her memory of the swaying wheat as “whispering wheat fields dancing their own wild rhythms.” I think that comes about as close to describing this beauty that is such a part of my love for the land.
This morning as the sun rose, I saw the beautiful clouds the winds have brought to us with a promise of rain. God has indeed shed his Grace on this land – on my land. The wind, as it rustles the wind chimes, is just a reminder.
