You could smell a bit of autumn in the evening air. The final crops of sweet corn,D wheat and vegetables were being harvested for sale at local markets. Soon the families would be stopping by so their cubs could pick their own pumpkins for Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns. Folks will start bundling up the corn stalks, which they will use as Fall decorations and only one thing will be left standing in the field - 'Bearcrow".

The Bearcrow had such a friendly face that he didn't really scare many crows away. In fact, the crows loved to come and visit with him out there in the field. He enjoyed the company too. The farmer had nothing to worry about though, because the birds showed their respect for a friend by never touching the crops. There were plenty of berries from the wild bushes that grew around the fields to keep them happy.

A frosty nip in the air was the first hint of winter coming. When the harvast is over, the farmer will come and get Bearcrow from the field and thank him for his help all summer. Then the farmer will reward him for a job well done by giving him some new, fresh hay to keep him warm until spring. After that he'll give him a new shirt and sometimes even a new hat. He felt special when he got a new hat. When he was done, he'd put him gently away in his special spot inside the barn, tip his hat a little and wish him a good winter.

It's nice and cozy in the barn and Bearcrow will get to spend the snowy months with his farm animal friends, safe and sound. He didn't get to see them much in the summertime because they were out working with the farmer, but winter will let the old friends catch up.  From time to time the crows stop by and perch on the barn windows squawking a friendly winter hello to them all. The chickens will share some of their feed & seeds with the crows and they'll cluck and squawk all the while.

Horse was the funniest fellow. Since he got to go into town when the family took the wagon, he'd hear all the people chatter. My goodness, the things the boys in town would say and do. Horse heard one of them say he wanted to be a train engineer when he grew up so he could see other parts of the country.  The older fella said he wanted to be a farmer, just like his dad. But the funniest story he ever told was about the boy who said he's gonna grow up and be a BEARCROW - because he loves birds so much. When Bearcrow heard that, he laughed so hard he almost lost his new stuffing.

Ah, life on the farm is good.