Hay Time

Yes it was that time again this past weekend.  Mow hay, ted hay, rake hay, bale hay, pick up hay, stack hay in barn.  A lot of hot itchy work, though not nearly as hot this year as it has been in the past.  Grover went with me to ted the hay and he graciously posed on the tractor.  The problem with that though was he wanted to ride with me on the tractor and there is just no room on this tractor for a person and a dog.  So he went back to the house and came to check on me every half hour or so.

 The tedder is pulled behind the tractor after the hay has had some time to dry and it basically fluffs it and turns it so the hay underneath gets dry as well.  In the photo, you can see the untedded hay on the right in narrow rows and the hay that has been done is more spread out.   Our first cutting on this field was done late, so we did not get as much off the field as we usually do, but still had about 300 bales to stack in the loft on Saturday.

 That along with the 100 or so bales from the other fields we did a couple weeks ago should get us through the winter.

It certainly feels like late summer out there.  The insects are keeping up a steady background noise and the unmowed fields are coming alive with new color.

The iron weed (purple) is blooming and the golden rod is just starting to bloom.  Nothing likes the iron weed, not even cattle will eat it and the bees don't like it.  But the bees do like the goldenrod, so it provides a fall nectar flow for them. 

The Queen Ann's Lace is everywhere.  This reminded me of a snowflake. 

And this Jewel Weed is prolific along the creek and fence lines.  I have been told that this is a wonderful remedy for poison ivy, though the orange variety is more potent, so I will be harvesting some and making an ointment to keep on hand to try next time I am afflicted.  I hope it does work.  






 



All summer, when hiking in the woods, one must be on alert for spider webs across the path.  I need to identify this arachnid which spins its webs in openings (such as a path) that have overhanging trees.  You can see the spider on the right in the photo.  The webs are usually right at face height and most unpleasant to walk into, especially if you think the spider might now be in your hair.  These seem to become more numerous toward fall.  They are easier to see in the morning when the webs are outlined with dewdrops and glow in the sunshine.

To avoid having webs across our faces and spiders in our hair, we generally use a web-catcher when we walk.  This simply entails breaking off a leafy branch and waving it in front of us as we walk.  It's kind of a pain, but so much better than walking through a spider web every 50 yards!

Here's my webcatcher.




Grover and I are still enjoying our agility classes and now we are thinking of entering a trial.  Unfortunately, with my busy fall schedule, our first opportunity to do so will be in November.  Or maybe that is not unfortunate, because it gives us a couple more months to prepare!  This week Sam and I constructed a Teeter, since Grover needs some work on that obstacle.  It is helping to work with him at home on it.

I'm not sure what else we can fit in our yard.
Maybe this weekend I can get Sam to man the camera and get some video of Grover and me running our little course.  


Tomorrow, Rowdy and I have an appointment with a vet in St Clairsville who does acupuncture on dogs.  The laser treatments are helping, but not as much as I would like, so this is the next step.  I am also wondering if an orthopedic specialist could clean up that knee.  Tomorrow's appointment should be interesting
 
 




My poor garden is pathetic.  My tomatoes are just not ripening  and what is left of my corn is spindly, but growing ears.  I think our weather has not been hot and sunny enough for the tomatoes to do well down here in our hollow.

This post is so full of photos that I will wait until next week to show you my new knitting projects.  A quick overview of my fall schedule:

Labor Day weekend, our yearly party.
We have a trip to Portland, OR planned to visit our kids.
I will be a vendor at the Wool Gathering in Yellow Springs Ohio with my alpaca yarns and fiber the 19th and 20th of September.  
I will be bringing mom's dog home with me to keep while she takes her tour group to Italy.  Then in October I am hosting a Dye Day for my spinning guild on the farm on Saturday the 4th.
On the 17th I am heading out to the NY Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck with a couple girlfriends to do some shopping and have some fun.  
The following weekend is my 35th high school reunion in the Cincinnati area.  So, a busy couple months ahead!

I will say that our crias are growing and thriving. Here is Tempest's Sonata: