A Tribute to Alan

It's a year since Alan passed away, and I long for his smile.  We had just begun a new life on the farm, which we had worked toward for so many years.

Alan attempted growing barley and wheat the first year he was here, but the processing of it got to be too difficult.  It makes good compost.

Here he displays one of his 12 pound cabbages.  He made 42 quarts of sauerkraut in 2010.

Here he is with the same type John Deere his Dad had on the farm.  Something I always noticed about Alan when he was driving a tractor:  He always had a smile on his face when he wasn't biting his tongue in an effort to accomplish a difficult manuever.  A man and his tractor is a special thing.

It's been a very difficult year for me with many changes, but I go on and I am happy.  The arrival of a grandson this coming  March is a reminder of the cirlce of life, and things will only get better for all of us.