Tuesday, August 30, 2016

playin' with horses.....

This is going to be a fun!!! and interesting day... and I am so excited to see Becky and Butch pulling into the farm with their trailer!!!! 
Bill and Ben have arrived.. because they have a very special job coming up and we humans need to be sure they are up for it.....
The Maine State Federation of Fire Fighters convention is in a few weeks, and Ed had the idea of having Protection II pulled by horses. I would have loved it to be our two, but, I don't quite dare since they are not used to parades, people and the like... so we asked Butch what he thought about his team... and knowing Butch, he said.."sure, why not". So, today they have come to practice and see how it all goes. 
The first part was measuring. Protection II has the long poles that the pumping was done with. They stick out well beyond it's body and we had to be sure the horses had room to work around them. 

And as it turns out... they didn't. So, Ed needs to make a longer pole for the horses to be able to turn when they are pulling....for today, Butch could lengthen the tugs, but for the parade the pole is going to have to be longer....
Becky and I drove the team around the farm while Ed and Butch made adjustments for today's practice and plans for what needs to be done for the parade... My two... walked along with us....you'd think they were helping in some manner...
With temporary adjustments made... they tried hitching again...



And things looked good enough for a test run....
The horses weren't even bothered by the weight or the sounds... and Butch confidently headed out to the road and onto the pavement where it will be easy pulling...
They went along as though they had pulled that hand tub their whole lives.... what a beautiful sight... it brought all our neighbors out to see what was going on... and I can just imagine what it's going to be like in the big parade....



Butch took the time to practice... turning it around, handling it on different surfaces, just getting the feel of the piece and the team together... all I could do was take about a 1000 pictures.....







Ed is so happy that his idea will work out. We know the Red Shirts are going to be thrilled to see this.... its an event that not likely to happen again for a very very long time, so this is truly something quite special. 
After all the practicing, plans made and everyone looking forward to the big event... the boys got to have some rest time in the pasture, while we had a little cookout dinner together. Friends like Becky and Butch are so special.. we don't see each other for months at a time, and when we do, we just pick up and continue on. We have so much in common that it's just really fun. 

They've been busy doing a lot of weddings this year too.. so their wedding carriage is in the trailer. Becky has been out almost every weekend... makes me wonder if i could do a business like that..... something to think about...
And, as with most days that are fun and have been looking forward too.. it's over in a moment's time. The boys need to head home, and will be back for the convention...

I'm so looking forward to that weekend.. but don't want to rush time... because the days are just never long enough....

goin' to the fair

another year, and the fair is back in town... I love our little fair... it's not big, that's for certain, but it has all the things that a good fair should.... animals, rides, food.. ribbons... and we look forward to it each year. Reagan is really happy to go this year because there will certainly be his favorite things.... tractors!!!
The doggie quilt.. now named "Hunter's quilt" was finished just in time, and proudly hangs with a blue ribbon. I love this little quilt and it already holds so many memories for me. Now just in the amount of time it took to get it done, but the fact that I finished it at the same time Hunter went onto Rainbow bridge.... so I can't help but think of him whenever I see this one.... but... let's not talk sad stories here...

I also enjoy seeing what other people have made, and it's good to say that (at least for this) the crafts in our area are alive and well.... just hope they're being passed onto the next generation.

The display barns had all sorts of different things, I liked seeing this "bee equipment" display... lots of old pieces from bee keeping days...
and I always love seeing carriages... someday I would love to have an older carriage along with my little wagonette...
They had a new thing this year... a "town" I guess you would call it. The children could walk threw collecting different things from the town and barnyard, and then at the end, if they had collected all the things, they got a prize. Reagan decided to give it a try.
Milk the cow... (that's where the mild comes from)
Pick the veggies....
deliver to the market....
sort it out in the store... and pick your prize... it was a cute idea... but really Reagan had better things to do. I guess being around the farm(s) of his grandparents, they're not really all that exciting...
Always fun to get a few rides in at the fair.....
Next year Cal...... 

Logan puppy came along with us... she really wasn't that excited about any of it... her days with us are coming to a close, so I'm getting in as much "us" time as possible.... she's such a good girl.
Then it was onto the animals.... I have to say, I wished that had been my childhood life... raising animals, and doing 4H at the fairs. The kids that hang around the barns always seem to be having such a good time, and I think it's just so important. I suppose I could get into a whole thing about kids and the things they do in this day and age... but, since I'm not raising them anymore... 

I'll just say, I'm happy to see the 4Her's each year...



Sadie and Abi joined us later in the evening... it was so much fun to have all the grands with us. We ate too much "bad" food... walked the fairgrounds a few times, and just enjoyed a beautiful summer night at the little town fair.....
At the end, we were all tired, full and happy......



and the fall things are beginning once again.....