Ode to Farmers & Freeform Friday

Haying The Field

The famers worked their butts off haying the fields on our road the last couple of days. Yesterday they really worked it from dawn to dusk, trying to get as many bales in as they could, before the rain overnight.  This means equipment including the mowing tractor and the baler.  Obviously, they mow the field first. Then the leave it sit for a bit, and then go back around and fluff the hay.  Then they leave that for a bit, I assume to dry out. Then comes the baler which takes all the hay and rolls it into big bales and shoots them out the back.  After that, it's time for the parade of trucks that come to collect the bales.

They didn't quite finish our field (ok, not 'our' field- just the field across the street which is conserved- yay!).  They got a good head start though.

The farm is just up the road a few miles, but it's not located on our road. Stuart Farm leases fields to produce the hay and corn he needs to feed his milk cows.  You'd have to have one huge farm to be able to produce all of it on your own property.

I very much enjoy living in a community that is still very much 'farm country'.  It's very different from where I grew up, only 10 minutes to the East.

If you've ever dreamed of having your own farm and how wonderful it would be to working in the sunshine and producing your own food, as well as food for others- let me tell you this: Farmers are some of the hardest working people you'll ever meet. Remember, it's not always sunny and you still have to work dawn to dusk, every day. And we're not talking 'casual' work from dawn to dusk, we're talking seriously, back breaking work.

I honestly don't know how they do it.

Dear Farmers,

(especially those who grow and produce food organically without the use of pesticides, without using GMO seeds, without the use of growth hormones, who honor the earth with sustainable practices, who sell their wares at farm stands and haul it to farmers markets so we can buy fresh food and know where it comes from)

Thank you for our food.
Amen.

Freeform Friday

Thought this was rather appropriate.  Hay Wrap! Get your jiggin' shoes on. "Daddy, can I go up top...Daddy, can I go up on top of the trailer? I swear to God I'll be good. Bale 'em Bale 'em."  The Saw Doctors are one fun band to see live. Danced the entire concert. Click here if you're reading by email.

And one more, just for laughs. Saw this during the morning news and it made me laugh out loud. Just wait for it. Smart bear. Click here if you're reading via email.





Happy Friday. Enjoy!

Ciao for now,

Almost Silent Sunday

Fields of Gold

The Farmer Stuart and his crew have been haying the field for two days now. It's a process. The mowing, the fluffing, the drying and then the baling.  Today they'll probably be back to pop them into the carrier. I love watching the process. What I love even more is we'll be able to walk in the field again.  The grass was just too long.  Lucan will be happy too.

It's bound to be very hot today. There is a breeze right now, which makes it deceiving until you step into the sun.  We will thoroughly enjoy it while working about the yard.  And you?

No Shelves Today- Sunday Adventure Part 1

Great Bay

Oh the weekend......it's never long enough. The one thing on the 'to do' list, didn't get done. Nope. Still no shelves in my office. Saturday I spent weeding and in the pool since it was hot, and Gar was zonked from working in the heat. Sunday we ignored the little to do list, hopped in the car, and went in search of the buffalo farm on Great Bay.

Here's our first view of the bay as we head into the next town, Newfields, New Hampshire.

We continued into Newmarket and the mill, which has been renovated into condos, was looking beautiful against the blue sky.



I was really happy to see they've started to renovate the other mill on Main Street. It looks like they're in the process of gutting the interior. Just look at the stonework....gorgeous.

Then off of Main Street and onto a long winding country road on our way to the buffalo farm.  We were lucky to have many glimpses of the bay.

This was one big field, swooping right down to water's edge.



Then we found the road to the farm. Lots of twists and turns to the end, and lo and behold, no buffalo farm anymore. We were disappointed. I remember when I was there before, that the sight of the buffalo roaming the field and the bay in the back was really striking.  We made the best of it though, and decided to see if we could find Durham Marketplace, a small local grocer. But before we hit town, there was still more country road to travel.

This cemetery was right across from where the buffalo used to roam (sorry, couldn't resist.......how often will I be able to say that?).

Such lovely details in the iron gate. 

Just up the road a bit, this view peaking through the trees. You have to love the beauty of a working farm, though this one was pretty quiet since it was Sunday.  There were many hay bale rolls in the field, proving someone had been hard at work recently.

And our last view of the bay before we hit the center of Durham (home of the University of New Hampshire).

Tomorrow, the downtown side of our adventure. After finding a lot of good food at the marketplace we swung over to Portsmouth (don't worry, we were prepared and kept the food cold) and enjoyed art, architecture, and everything else that makes Portsmouth what it is.

Sunset Meadows

This summer has been a real show stopper here at Sunset Meadows.

Lovely purple, pink, swirly whirly clouds.

I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend in your part of the world. Did you get your to-do list done? Or did you throw caution to the wind and do something just for the fun of it? 

Have a great Monday in your corner of the world.