Yesterday and today the sun shone brightly. The ground seemed to dry up, was less boggy. The air smells of high bush cranberries and fall leaves. Tonight, I went for a ride on Hrimmi, and the low lying light of the sun lit up the Talkeetna Range. And the trees and foliage, in the light, were bright yellow and orange. On this side of continental divide, there are no bright red colors mixed in with the orange and yellow. Of course, the spruce stay green. But the birch, they yellow out.

Shadow and Tyra

Last year we lost, literally, a ton of hay – it molded because we got so much rain. We learned our lesson. This year we first purchased 20 bales from our hay dealer for $20.00 a bale, then we purchased 20 bales from another hay dealer for $15.00. This second purchase, it was literally right off the wagon. I noticed that it was on the Senior Center float and bartered for it, saying that unless I bought it that it was going to get ruined in the rain.

This being a nice day, Pete went and got 96 bales of hay from John DePriest, our hay dealer. John gave us a good deal because the outer edges of the hay had yellowed. We got first cutting hay that was in the barn. John still hasn’t gotten his second cutting baled because of the rain. He cut his hay yesterday and today. Pete said that John told him he needs 10 solid days of sun in order to get dry hay into the barn.

With their being so much rain, we were lucky to have a hay crop this year. I always fret about this, as do other I’m sure. We came home and Pete backed the trailer up between the two shelters. The three mares stood waiting. I couldn’t help but think that had Tinni been around, he would have been with them. Most likely he would have stood in the far corner of the pen, which was something he did in his later years. I don’t think his vision was all that good.

The mares were waiting. As soon as the trailer was backed into position, they each reached over the fence and began eating. We unloaded the hay into the left side barn. Shadow joined us, happily leaping from bale to bale.

After unloading the hay and eating lunch. I cleaned the right side hay shed. This is a totally onerous task that involves moving several pallets, then sweeping and bagging hay, then putting the pallets back in place. This took me an hour and a half. Grr, grr, grr.

I went for a walk after, then Pete and I went for a ride. Tyra and Raudi were sluggish, undoubtedly because they’d eaten so much hay.

We made hay while the sun shone. Now the phrase is in the past tense.

Next: 263. 9/25/23: Burning the Candle at Both Ends