Saturday, October 29, 2011

Halloween hayride!!!

All week long, I have been looking for to the weekend. I try not to do that, because I hate rushing time, but when such fun things wait ahead, it's hard not to. Our good friends, Becky and Butch were coming to do an annual Halloween hayride, and afterwards, coming to the farm for a visit and to work with our team. Last year, when we helped them with this ride, it turned out to be a cold and rainy night. I hoped we wouldn't repeat that weather this year, especially after having that bit of snow earlier in the week. The weather folks said something about a storm, but were pretty sure it would stay south... by the end of the week, that report all changed. And as the week went on, it changed more and more. By Saturday morning, they were predicting an other "nor easter" that was going to bring SNOW instead of rain. LOTS of snow.


Ed and I decided to take this forecast seriously and we did some picking up around the yard and made sure all was ready around the barn. Since the report said "wet and very heavy" snow, we got read for power outage... let's face it, here.. outage is common place. By the time we did everything, we got to Becky and Butch on the later side of their ride. The pictures will tell you what the weather was up to by then.







Bill and Ben looked more like a Christmas postcard than a Halloween hayride. The wind was really picking up and the snow was very wet... so when it hit you, it melted and you were very wet. Butch was about done and was watching the team closely for signs of chill...










Fortunately, the party folks had about all the rides they wanted, and told Becky and Butch to pack it up and head for "home"











The team seemed so happy to be unhitched and ending their evening. Ed and I did what we could to make the packing up quick. The roads were getting bad quick and the horses needed to be cared for.









They got on that trailer quickly and we headed back tot he farm. The drive home was "interesting" fortunately Ed, Butch and Becky are all good drivers. It took us about 20 minutes more than it should have, but the good news, we made it safe. The Belgians were brought into our barn, groomed up, fed and were warm and cozy when we headed to bed.








Outside, the night looked like January - not October. The wind howled and the snow mounted fast.












At bedtime, we already had this much.....
















and it continues......................