There have been rabbits here long before we bought this acreage, and in the winter some live under the machine shed. I have tried blocking and filling in the holes they make but they still get in. A few weeks ago the dogs chased one into a chain link fence next to the shed. In it’s terror to avoid the dogs it became lodged half way through the fence and was screaming as the dogs chewed on it’s hindquarters. A horrific scene to discover. It was dark and by the time we had called the dogs off and could make out what had happened, the poor creature was too far gone. I grabbed a rifle and put it out of it’s misery. The next day when I could see I went out to remove the rabbit from the fence and it took me several minutes to finally get it free. A reminder that not everything about living in the country is pleasant. The packs of coyotes that roam our area got close enough a few nights ago that we worried about the safety of our two dogs, especially Marley, the oldest at 11. We called the dogs into the house, knowing they could assume the role of the doomed rabbit if surrounded and attacked by a pack of coyotes. After a recent overnight snowfall I went out during the day to check the mailbox with the two dogs. I smiled as I noticed our yard was crisscrossed with hundreds of rabbit tracks.

The local farmers recently finished harvesting the crops along our road and around our acreage, opening up the vistas. Once again we can see the surrounding water towers, farms and co-op elevators miles away as well as the distant traffic moving along the highway. Some truckers outline their rigs with bright colored lights. During the evening as they drive along emerging from behind one slope and disappearing behind another they look like huge lit up fish swimming across the landscape. We were surrounded by corn this year and for a few days after the fields were harvested the chaff was a little thick blowing into our yard. We raked and burned the stuff a couple of times, but most of it eventually blew across our acreage and into the next field. The field mice are trying to move into the garage and outbuildings for the winter, but thankfully there is no sign of them in the house. We hide poison in the outbuildings so the dogs can’t get to it and traps loaded with peanut butter in the garage, but so far there has not been much activity. Within the last week I heard two packs of coyotes yipping and howling at each other fairly close to us, but I couldn’t see them in the darkness. They went quiet soon and I haven’t heard them since then. They will be back. The seasons are still battling with each other, the snow blowing one day and the warm sun shining down the next. We all know what the outcome of the fight will be, but I still can’t help rooting for the underdog.