Is our area Heaven or close to it?

And, the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, and after his kind; and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:12 (King James Version)

Sunday was our annual church service at the Peterson’s Valley View Farm on 150th Avenue. As I was sitting on the grassy yard listening to Jim Herrick and Friends of Colfax providing the beautiful music for the service, I wondered if I was not in heaven.

I looked down the valley from Peterson’s yard and it was filled with tall green trees covering the valley floor. It can’t get any better this, I thought to myself.

Our area has been blessed with sufficient rain and hot summer temperatures to allow for the green grass, trees full of green leaves and crops with ten-foot high corn stalks, bountiful hay fields and waist-high soybean fields. This must be heaven, or is it just a preview of what we can expect when our day comes?

With the service finished, Paula and I traveled to Menomonie and south on 25 to Durand and into Minnesota to Winona to attend the golden wedding anniversary of John and Jan Campe. Some of you might remember him from his recent leadership at Hiawatha National Bank several years back.

But as we traveled south of Menomonie, it quickly came apparent that, that area has not been blessed like we have and has suffered from lack of rain. Crops there were yellow and some cornfields that were not irrigated had corn stalks that were not even waist-high. One field had been harvested with just two rows left standing for insurance coverage, I assumed.

On the way home we followed the Mississippi River, from Winona to Red Wing, and that is another wonder that one must view to appreciate its beauty. It’s worth a drive on a Sunday afternoon..