There’ve been some magnificent responses to the challenge to depict Love so I won’t attempt to compete. Rather, I thought I’d enter something out of left field. Well, a Swiss field actually, where, for love of the land and the creatures of the field, the muffel* mows the hay in a peculiarly even-handed way.
The idea is that each time he mows he leaves part of the field untouched, allowing the grasses and flowers to mature and die back, replenishing the natural cycle of the land. These grassy areas also capture moisture and act to prevent erosion – and of course, offer shelter to the creatures of the field.
* Though I’m pretty confident this is the spelling S & R gave me, and I’m pretty sure muffel is a dialect word – any more information gladly sought.
The Wanderlust Gene 
It looks like he’s left pictures of clouds on the hill.
Yes, clouds and falling rain on the hillside, we thought, but we weren’t agreed on whether it was raindrops, or teardrops in the smaller field. So nice of you to drop by wildthing 🙂
I am from Austria, so the Swiss word Muffel might mean something else, but in our dialect a Muffel is someone who does not want to do something fun or is generally against doing fun things. Like a spoilsport or a sourpuss, I guess.
Nathy – so nice to hear from you! Thanks for the definition of muffel in your dialect. I got the impression a Swiss muffel is a nonconformist of sorts, certainly serious in what he thinks and does, but in the case of our fellow, certainly joyous in his execution of it.
We were all agreed the hillside had clouds and rain, and the other smaller field was either teardrops, or raindrops (depending on how much of a sourpuss we think our muffel is?) I’ve asked Susy to write and tell me more about the muffel – perhaps after she’s thought about it we’ll get a clearer definition.
A sport-muffel would be someone who does not like to do sports, and kind of has a disdain for people who do, but might be a nice person otherwise.
So maybe this Muffel is a conformism-muffel. I think I will try and introduce this word to every English speaking person I know. English seems to be missing the right term for Muffel.
Don’t give up on us yet, Nathy! Wait for Susie to get back to me so I can see if I can come up with a better word for him! 🙂
A bit more on the Swiss Muffel – people think these people are ‘freaks’, mostly because they seem to prefer their own company to being part of the crowd and doing and enjoying the things most people like to do. Susan says ‘their’ Muffel has had his nickname since they were at school – she forgets why, but he apprenticed as a shepherd and then as an artist, and speaks
English. He apparently has a website heuruethof.ch that I’m going to explore right now! I think maybe we’d call him a ‘loner’, or a bit of an eccentric.
P.S.: I also love the shapes they leave on the gras. Might as well have some fun while mowing!
I imagine him singing as he works, Nathy! Though I agree with him that the need for the work to be done by every farmer is serious business.
“Love of the Land” is a great thought for the love theme. Thank you, TWG!
It must be the old farmer in me Amy!
Would that more of the people of the world love the land!
Excellent entry for love.
Yes – it’s shocking that the stories of those who do are so few and far between, but reassuring, I guess, that they exist at all, or that they make the ‘news’. 🙂
Lovely, what an excellent thing to do!
It will be a wonderful day when we see all the fields covered with pictures such as these!
A great example of man and nature living in complete understanding and harmony, taking care of each other. One picture says it all.
The problem is there are so few farmers who see it this way! It’s something dear to my heart Lynne because in Australia, 200 years of grazing hard hoofed animals, and cultivating vast fields of fertilizer- and water-loving crops of grain has done unbelievable damage to the land.
Seeing this farmer bringing in the muffel to mow his hay almost brought tears to my eyes, as do stories of farmers in Oz who’re taking drastic steps to try to heal their land.
It is amazing how much your Swiss field looks like a pasture in Kentucky.
Tim
That’s fantastic news Tim – just wonderful to learn that Kentucky farmers are allowing the pasture to mature and replenish itself in places. From the research that’s starting to emerge in Australia it’s making significant beneficial changes to the soil itself, and of course to stopping erosion.
How lovely that is.
It certainly is Tilly. I’m an old softie when it comes to the land, and stories like this make me teary, and a little hopeful about the future of the planet.
What a lovely way of allowing nature to go in its natural cycle… looks like he left a picture… I’d say that is the love of the land…
I think so too bulldog – a bit like an ecologically dictated golf course might do too, eh?
If only more people could think of those interrelationships and respect them. The world would be a better place for all, I think.
Certainly the land would be better off for it, and thus, I believe, all of us as its capacity to produce increases with the greater fertility of the soil, etc. And the balance between good and bad insects and their predators kept, lessening the need for insecticides, etc. etc. etc. … 🙂
an inspirational post to read first thing in the morning, joy and creativity in the mowing, love for the earth and all its small creatures, and such a sense of fun, definitely done by no spoilsport!
No indeed, Christine! I think the Swiss meaning is a little more along the lines of a serious thinker, nonconformist sort of person.
This man – this muffel – is certainly serious about what he does, because he only mows for farmers who ask, or allow him to mow in this way, which means he’s taking serious risks with his income. But as I said to Nathy, the pictures he mows into those fields and hillsides are so imbued with the beauty of nature I imagine him full of joy as he works – singing with joy as he weaves back and forth with his mower!
wish all mowers were so!
Wouldn’t it be nice 🙂
Wonderful subject and photo. It makes me think of those man-made forested bridges over highways (I’ve seen them in Europe), built so animals don’t have to cross busy roads to get to alternate feeding grounds. I love it that more people are trying to live in harmony with nature instead of just running roughshod over it.
Those ‘bridges’ over man-made obstacles like highways and dams, etc., are a wonderful example that at last the tide may be turning in favour of “the environment”. Now, if we could just get more farmers to let nature do its thing in their fields … though Tim says in Kentucky it’s being done, which is great news!
For the love of the land, indeed!
I’m a farmer’s daughter, John, and it’s the love of the land – that sparse, arid, topsoil poor land of Australia that i’ve always thought of as my ‘home’ – so people who show the love of their land are heroes to me 🙂
What a wonderfully human touch, and so good for the wildlife too! Wonderful post!
Loved the whimsy of the clouds and rain adorning the hillsides.
What a wonderful concept! And a clever, non mushy interpretation of the challenge! Didn’t expect anything less from you 🙂
I wonder if I’d be more sentimental if there were kids or grand kids? But you’re spot on Madhu, mush isn’t my thing (even though hyperbole sometimes is!).
It is an inspiring concept, isn’t it? We just need to start a movement … 🙂
We certainly do 😀
I need to become an environmental activist in my next life 🙂
🙂
If I had to mow that hill, I think I’d leave the whole thing untouched.
What a conservationist you are! Ha ha, I’d want to too – you see how steep it is, even the cows graze across ways! 🙂
you always have such a fresh perspective m…this is great
Thanks Jo – I suppose I do try to look outside the box, as they say … 🙂
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I’m with Jo – wouldn’t find me on a mower on that slope. Does that make me an Austrian muffel?
Ha ha ha!!! 🙂
Decidedly a labor of great love… 😉
Yes, I’m sure it is love, and an urgent need to do something positive for the environment.
You have had a busy catch up morning – thanks for that – I’m still struggling but will be by soon. 🙂