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I don’t have the type of memory that allows me to keep track of all the books I’ve read and what happens in them, but I do recall one of the first stories to leave an impact on me.

ByYears ago, a painting of a pirate ship hung in my daughter’s bedroom. The ship sat on the waters of a ruffled sea. The black spindly masts making stark shadows against the florescent lime-green and yellow moonlight shining on the dark green and indigo water.

I head to the calf barn in the morning dressed in pants, a sweatshirt and a stocking hat. My attire for afternoon feeding includes a T-shirt and shorts. This can only mean one thing: Fall has arrived.

Energy is generally in high demand and short supply during a challenging season, and 2020 continues throwing one crisis and challenge after another at us. On top of everyday stressors, there is an extra layer of stress due to natural disasters, pandemic-related regulations affecting farms and the overall turmoil occurring in cities across America. It is a lot to handle and can take a toll.

As dairy farmers, one of the things we all have in common are state milk inspections. If you’re reading this and have no idea what I’m talking about, the USDA inspects dairy farms to make sure everything is up to standards for producing milk for people to consume.

Editor’s note: The following is the opinion of the author and not to be construed as that of the magazine. To read a contrasting opinion, see Just dropping by... Election 2020: Donald Trump.