Tuesday, September 19, 2006

News From The Farm-

A neighboring cattle farmer happened to mention to my
dad that the hay growing in his field looked better than
the spring cut did, so, Dad decided to make a second
cutting this year. We have this deal. He cuts the hay,
rakes the hay and bales the hay. We load the hay and
put it in our barn and feed the cattle for the winter. Poor
Dad, his equipment is utterly ancient. He can barely get
around the field one time before it breaks down and needs
repair. Therefore, to get a cutting of hay takes countless
trips to town or to The Bluff (the nearest large town...
it is know to the world at large as Poplar Bluff, but it is
colloquially know as The Bluff). We just sit around and
do other things until we get the word that it is all baled.
Really though, don't feel too sorry for him, he is a true
Gentleman Farmer and glories in such things.

So, last Saturday night, after dark, we all headed down the
road and brought back two trailer and truck loads of hay.
Good thing. We really didn't have enough for a hard winter.
Princess Daughter only fell off the haywagon one time. Now
we can sleep well at night knowing how contentedly our cows
will sleep this winter.

I noticed that same night that the glow worms are finally out.
I'd been wondering where they were. They are so fairyish.
You look and see one, then blink and it is gone. I've always
thought they were the larvae of fireflies, but I've been googling
them and there is not a whole lot of information on them. This
I know though, they are magical and help me to adjust to the
thought of summer being over.

Uncle Jim, who lives down the gravel from me, called today and
asked me if I knew of anyone missing a small, dark horse as
there was one in his yard. Nope, I didn't. He tried to get close
to it but it wandered off. So, I have my eyes peeled to see if it
wanders into our yard. If so, I'll have to try and catch it, Princess
Daughter would be thrilled to pet it.

2 comments:

Tammy said...

Wow, how fun for me to read about your life on the farm! I have always wanted to live on a farm, but alas, it's always been the suburbs. *sigh*

Here in the west, we don't get fireflies and I had only heard of them or seen them on TV. So when I was first married and spent 3 years in Virginia, I was thrilled to see my first fireflies! And you're right...they are indeed magical!

Susannah said...

It's nice to hear a little bit about your Dad! He sounds like a wonderful man.