Saturday, October 31, 2015

Halloween hay.......

I have to say that we have had some beautiful fall weather this year... temps have been warm and I feel like we have had extra time to get ready for the winter days ahead. So it seems that Halloween this year is going to be "warm".. which means for this little "fire fighter".. we'll be able to see his costume. In our little town "trick or treat" is done on the night before Halloween.... we called it 'beggar's night".... and Reagan was well on his way collecting goods in the afternoon....
We don't make a "big deal" over Halloween in our family... and personally I don't like all the creepy things it brings out. I'm actually happy when this "holiday" is over.... but we do try to enjoy the light and happy side of it. As a child, I had many happy Halloweens trick or treating with friends, while the grown ups walked with us, carring the flash lights and cups of coffee to stay warm. I also remember the "fits" we used to pitch when our heavy winter coats covered over our costumes... we would pick freezing just so we could show off.. but our folks would always say no....... we ran from house to house in the local area.. and then come home and dump our goods all over the floor and sort threw them....
Halloween doesn't feel that way to me anymore, and not just because I'm grown up... it seems to have taken on a very creepy feel... so we work "hard" to keep it fun for the little ones and steer clear of the bad....

After showing off his outfit and collecting a few treats from "meme".... Reagan pulled out the marble game.. (narble game in his words) and we sat on the floor and let the marbles run in the little track. This game has been a huge favorite of many kids.. my parents bought it years ago in the Amish country and brought it home. Reagan loves to make the marbles "run"... and it's so much fun to see how entertaining a simple toy can be.... 
We all visited and played together, and then it was time to suit up and head out again for trick or treat......
someone is anxious to get started.....
Happy Halloween!!!!
So.. back to farm chores... it was a bad year for hay... the field that we usually buy from produced just a little` more than half  of it's usual yield. I bought all that I could back in July, but with seven horses on the farm now, I was getting nervous about making it threw the winter. I feel like I always get like this and come spring we have extra... but I like to be sure. I like to feed heavy when it's cold and the last thing I want to do is look for hay in March....
"Father" told me that he had some hay in his barn that he would sell me, and we "just" needed to go and collect it.... so.. with a beautiful fall day and no signs of rain.. we took the day and went for the hay. He wasn't exactly sure how much there way, but it took us two loads to bring it home and now I feel happy that the loft is nice and full....
After we were loaded, I took some time to look around Father's barn. It's a beauty.. built in the 1800's and has been taken care of it's whole life. There is just something so grand in old barns... I often wish they could talk and tell their stories...
But I have found that if you just look closely, and listen carefully... you can "hear" the stories they have to share. Big New England barns... with huge walk threw doors are just my favorite and when we built our barn, I tried to keep with that tradition. Maybe one day, our barn with fit in with this class... but right now.. it works well for me and gives our horses a safe and happy home.....
Father said he's happy to have this hay out of the barn.... he has some work to do with it this year and with the hay moved, he can easily get to the places that need attention... I of course, am happy to have that hay out of this barn and in mine!!!!
Because we all know.. these blue skies and warm temps aren't going to hang around long...


and as they say... "make hay while the sun shines".....