Sunday Morning

We used to call days like these “Harvest Weather” when I was a kid growing up in southern Iowa.  It’s mid-September and the temps should be cooling off but it heats up in order for the corn and the beans to dry out.  The guys that I went to school with would be talking about how they would soon be cutting off all after school activities (other than football mind you) so they could get home right after school to help Mom and Dad bring in the harvest.

We would soon be talking about quail and pheasant hunting once that chore would be completed.  Our Junior High school principal knew what we were up to and talking about.  He’d start making weekly announcements about how we aren’t allowed to keep any shotguns in our lockers; we’d have to check them in at the office instead.  I know that sounds a tad bit outrageous given what’s going on in the world today but guys I knew would take their shotguns to school because they had invites to join our friends who lived on the farm for some after school quail hunting.  I don’t think anyone actually gave it a thought about using it for something other than hunting.

But those were far different days than what we see nowadays.  How have we gotten to where we are right now?  I haven’t a clue.