The View From Here: Blessings Great and Small

PALOUSE –– One way people can be categorized is by the way they track the seasons—some depend on the calendar, others by sport schedules, and still others, by the weather. My tracker of choice is the frequency of truck traffic on Route 27.

Another year of crops have been harvested and transported to their storage units, and all is now relatively quiet. The 3 a.m. 18-wheelers that signaled the beginning of another work day are now gone and have left silence in their wake.

Truck traffic, along with field planting and harvest are all segments of the Palouse’s “Circle of Life.” Not being a native, I lack both the knowledge and experience to put these events in their proper context, a fact that, I believe, contributes to my awe at the process.

Every farmer I encounter seems to share similar attributes: tall, broad shouldered, and carrying themselves with a quiet dignity, a modesty that contrasts their immense contributions to feeding the world.

A seemingly small event that I recently witnessed wonderfully demonstrates the reach of their labors: Small groups of birds, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, began happily feasting in my front yard. They were accompanied by a flight of doves that landed on the edge of the road and joined their meal.

Not recalling such behavior in the past, it took me a few moments to realize that a passing truck on its way to a terminal must have left them lunch. In the scale of grand things, it seemed like a small event, and easy to miss. Their travels through the grass, however, were a gift to behold and I was grateful to have slowed down enough to witness their presence. On their behalf, and mine, thank you to our farmers.