Dear Farm Journal,
In his novel, Hard Times, Charles Dickens wrote, “Old Time, that greatest and longest established spinner of all!…. his factory is a secret place, his work is noiseless, and his hands are mutes”. The season continues to curtail around us and also affects our perception of time on the farm, accelerating and decelerating at odd intervals. In a daily sense, the hours have the earmarks of a slow moving stroll, steady and sure, yet totally unhurried. However on a weekly and monthly scale, time seems to fly by, rapidly approaching the holiday season. During my short time as a farmer, I have come to perceive time, not so much by the clock or the calendar, but by the length of days and the way I hitch my own pace to the passing moments. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we packed and delivered boxes a day early, which is a pretty strong indication that I will have no idea what day it is all week, but…does it really matter to Old Time?
~Joy