WORKING ON A SUNNY SUNDAY

There weren’t many at Church this morning mainly because a lot of people are on holiday, but we had a good service when we heard how we could partner with Churches nearby and get involved together.

As usual, I had made up a picnic lunch and off we went on a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon.  I had thought we might look for some dereliction, particularly as I haven’t joined in the informal Derelict Sunday challenge for a while, but when we saw the combine harvesters at work, that changed my mind.

With white fluffy clouds, a beautiful blue sky and pale yellow cornfields, how could I not Blip one of my photographs of the countryside at its best?  We took the Ogbourne St. George road and turned towards Aldbourne where we stopped on the Ridgeway and watched the combine harvester, tractor and baler working together before taking another detour.  We stopped to have our lunch whilst watching at least six red kites in the sky - obviously looking for their lunch!  We also saw several buzzards, a kestrel and a bullfinch, and of course, the obligatory rooks, pigeons and numerous other small birds, as well as butterflies and bees.

I wanted to walk on and take more photographs, so left Mr. HCB watching the red kites, and then he caught me up - it was so good to be out in the countryside where it was very peaceful, except for the odd car or cyclists coming along the narrow road that led down into Aldbourne.  I even spotted something that I might be able to use for a Silly Saturday blip, but it’s in someone’s garden, so I will have to go and ask permission!  All will be revealed in due time.

I have chosen the combine harvester as my Blip and am putting the tractor and baler in as an extra.  I liked them both and for me they just typify England, and Wiltshire, at harvest time;  it was a joy to be out there watching the farmers working - no day of rest for them - and of course, they will be praying that the rain holds off until all their crops are harvested.

“The fields...are white already to harvest" (John 4:35 KJV), 
     or as other versions put it, 
          "ripe for harvest.”.
One part of the harvest metaphor we may have missed 
     was the importance of timing - 
          there is a season for both sowing and reaping, 
and sometimes there is a season 
     of simply waiting and watering.” 
Keri Wyatt Kent : 
Deeper into the Word: Reflections on 100 Words From the New Testament

P.S.  For the latest Blip Community Challenge, Mr. HCB and I think that our corner of the world is special and visitors often remark on the beauty of the "Rolling Downs of Wiltshire" so we often take our guests to show them the Downs and they love seeing them as well as the little English villages such as Aldbourne and Ramsbury along the way - it's real farming country in these parts!