Hay making

With what content and merriment,

their days are spent, who's minds are bent

to follow the useful plow.

-Unknown-

Here it is July 31st already. Three more weeks before school begins anew; six more weeks until the first frost, is the reckoning. Where has summer gone?

Crows are gathered in bunches of twos and fours, being beaten about by smaller protective bird parents. Going for a walk down the road they caw and cackle at you from the trees, noisy and rude-like.

The days are long, but never quite long enough to get everything you want done. Up with the sun and out to the animals, a bucket of corn for the chickens and a pile of hay for the horses. And of course what ever is dropped for Hammie.

 Hay making was begun a few weeks ago when we cut the grass to dry. It didn't take long, for the thermometer may say only 85, but the direct sun is positively blistering and makes it feel more like 95 with the humidity.

 After only a day or two, our sort-of neighbor {if you call someone living within ten miles a neighbor} raked and baled it all up with his machines, packing fifteen square acres of grass into 104 neat round bales. That's three less than last year, but hey. Or should that be hay? I'm confused.

There is just something supremely satisfying about looking at a freshly mown field. Its all so crisp and has the look of a 4-H heifer -- well taken care of.

Especially when you compare it with the tall tangle of jungle that it was until just days ago. Now it's the perfect riding spot with no holes whatsoever to worry about. The perfect racetrack for me and Little Brother and our magnificent{ly fat} steeds. Charge on!

The original height: Up to ma' ears, as you can see, and I'm five foot five. Oh, and ignore those rainy-looking clouds -- they're bluffing. They're always bluffing.

I've been away from the Internet a lot lately, so I have much to catch up -- mostly in the the photo editing department. I think I have about ninety to do. So I'll be getting to that now, and perhaps scheduling some posts for the coming week since it will be much the same -- outdoors working 24/7 it seems. But it's great. Roanie's a little less round.

-Gwyn