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| April 30, 2012 |
Kermit the Frog laments that it's not easy being green. But a Kansas wheat crop clings tenaciously to green - even as snow blankets it and other plants have faded to brown for the winter.
Today, I'm back for Leap Into Spring's "Grass/Green" photo challenge. Since my yard is not photo worthy, I went with the most beautiful green scenes we have here on the County Line.
Spring brings a sea of green to Central Kansas - green that stretches across wheat fields and seems to reach toward the mighty cottonwoods along a neighboring road.
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| April 23, 2012 |
It begins its life as a golden kernel.
And appropriately for a "Green" challenge, we drill the wheat using a John Deere drill - though we are decidedly red when it comes to tractor allegiance :-)
Within 5 days or so, the first inkling of green begins to break through the earth.
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| October 9, 2011 |
Wheat is a hardy crop. Through the winter, it sleeps. Even under a blanket of ice and snow ...
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| December 2011 |
... it holds steadfastly to its green.
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| February 2012 |
But as the sun's rays begin to warm the earth, the green rivals the brightest crayons in the box.
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| March 2012 |
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| May - Wheat heading |
After 9 months of sunrises ...
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| April 30, 2012 (The crop is ahead of schedule this year) |
... the green gives way to the "amber waves of grain" - back to the gold from which it sprouted.
And it's again time to harvest. Then the gold to green cycle will begin yet again on a Kansas farm.
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Today, I'm linked to the fifth week of the Leap Into Spring Photo Challenge. Hosts for the challenge are Alicia at Project Alicia, Kristi and Live and Love Out Loud and Rebecca at Bumbles and Light. Check out the photos on their pages
I love that first picture! What a great capture.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteVery neat idea to share the life of winter wheat. I really like the last two pictures, the clowds are so interesting. It's hard not to enjoy a nice wheat head picture.
ReplyDeleteHope you are getting some rain. We had another .80" last night. Needless to say, but no branding today.
Thanks, Robyn! Our rainfall varied a great deal this week, depending upon location. Here at the house, we got 1.60, but on ground about 7 miles away, we got only 0.25. We are thankful for any we get! The last few days have been very warm and windy and the wheat is already taking on a yellow tinge. We are going to be really early for harvest unless the weather slows it down. We now have some alfalfa down. Jake raked it this AM and Randy hopes to bale tonight. Good luck with branding - when you get to it!
DeleteI love your idea to share the life story of winter wheat, Kim! The last three pictures are my favorite. It's hard not to enjoy a neat wheat head picture and the clowds in the last two are so interesting.
ReplyDeleteHope you are getting some rain. Another 80 hundreth at our house last night. No branding today.
That first shot is perfect! I love seeing the progression throughout the entire process.
ReplyDeleteThanks! That's why I always take my camera on my morning walks.
DeleteI love love love this post! What a great idea to document wheat in such a way!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words. I hope it tells a little bit of the story of Kansas wheat.
DeleteI love this post! I never knew this. . any of this! The photos are awesome and the story they tell is beautiful! It's the circle of life, it's beautiful for all living things. Thanks so much for sharing it! And really? Who knew that wheat took so long and was so strong! I'm most impressed with that!
ReplyDeleteAs a Kansas farm wife, it was part of my hope to share some of the story of how flour comes to your pantry and bread comes to your table. Thanks for taking time to comment!
DeleteThis was wonderful to see!! I have never seen the different stages of how wheat grows - it's fascinating and beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteThe droplets on that first photo are just stunning! Wow! The sunrise photo is beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking part in our Spring Photo Challenge, don't forget to stop by and enter your favourite spring photo next week for a chance to win some great prizes!
It's been fun coming up with photos to reflect each challenge. Thanks!
DeleteBeautiful green, I like such photographs. I am greeting
ReplyDelete