Cutting Hay

I think we will finally get into the field to cut the hay tomorrow. The weather forecast looks better than it has for many weeks now and we are going to take a chance on it. I have already signed on to help with the mowing over the objections of Larry, our hay man. But I am determined to help. We need this hay IN THE BARN. I have customers waiting for me to deliver hay.

The field is thick with grass and looks like it will make a lot of hay. I think it will still make some good horse hay as well as good hay for our beef cows. It has some timothy in it but it is mostly grass. It has sure been a difficult year to get hay in the barn especially for square bales. As you know they need to be drier when square baled than when baled in round bales.

I belonged to a farm organization some years ago that had their convention in Las Vegas. I never could understand why farmers would want to go to Vegas. Farming is enough gamble as we are always at the mercy of the market as well as the weather. Especially the weather.

I was in Stanton early last week and they were getting hay put in their barns the day I was there. We have not had three or four dry days in a row to cut and bale hay. They apparently had a few days and their hay guy was right on top of it.

While at Van Bert's that day, I rode my two year old mare, Rockin' Andi and I am so pleased with her. She is really a nice steady mare that doesn't get spooked easily. I sure appreciate the good training she has had under the capable guidance of Jamie and S T. They have done a great job with her and she will just get better and better. I felt so at ease on her and she was so well behaved. I have never been more confident riding a horse than I felt on her. I am hoping to ride her in a Novice class at one of the shows this summer. I haven't ridden much this spring so I am hoping to get there again this week and ride her some more.

My daughter, Mary Engle and her granddaughter and I have plans to go on Friday but it will depend on the hay situation. Melissa needs to ride too to get ready to show at some point this year. She has such a bad time in the winter due to illness that she has not been ready to show. Now that she is out of school, I hope we will get her to Stanton more to put her under the capable guidance of Wilda Derickson to teach her how to ride the Rockies. She sure loves riding and she is not afraid. She loves to go fast but I don't like for her to go fast. I am the nervous Great-Grandmother.

I am the one who back in my youth put my 5 year old daughter on a pony and told her to ride him or let him stand in the barn all day with her on his back. Then I walked off and left her to decide how to do it. Being older (and supposedly wiser) is not always a comfortable place to be. It is sometimes very nerve racking. Especially when you watch the grandchildren and now great-grandchildren and worry they will get hurt.

I also hope to be showing my yearling filly, Flair for Fury. So far the pros have shown her but I really think it would be fun to show her myself. She has done really well this season with 2 first places and a second. She is an outstanding filly out of Venture's Black Fury. The only time she has been beaten in hand was by another Fury baby. I love those Fury Babies. The judges seem to like them too.

Later everyone and until then,

God bless you and keep you in his loving care

Mary