How do you spell relief?
Well, yesterday I spelled it two ways: M-I-K-E and Z-A-C-H.
It's difficult to describe the relief one feels each year when the last bale from the field is IN THE BARN.
Harvey's hard-working and efficient hay hands provided just that feeling for me yesterday afternoon when they pulled the last bale from the stack outside the barn and put it in place.
The whole process took them less than half an hour, but, as I told them, the relieved feeling for a "small potatoes" farmer like me probably equals that of folks who put up hundreds of tons of hay.
It's vital, no matter how minimal the crop is, and to have it safely in the barn with no rain-----that is the best.
I'll be purchasing a lot more hay, which will come to the barn sometime this fall when the intense, urgent field harvest dies down for Harvey and his crew.
For now, however, there's no better feeling for the summer of 2018.
The horses will appreciate those meals over the winter, and, as always I appreciate the people who see to it that those meals are high quality.
We also have more meals for them as the summer rolls on. Tomorrow, when it's cooler and I have plenty of time, I'll be checking out the fence line all around the hay field and will reinforce wherever needed.
Then, horses can leave their eaten-down pastures behind for a while and enjoy munching in a much bigger area.
With luck and some rain, as we approach fall, the other fields may rejuvenate a bit, allowing me to keep the horses closer to the barn and house.
In other news, yesterday I read a note from an extended family member named Heather who lost her bigger-than-life, much beloved husband last August.
Cazzie Brown (for whom CB is named, thanks to the three Brown children) coached high school football in Salt Lake City.
He died suddenly in the midst of his second year of coaching from what was eventually determined to be West Nile Virus.
Cazzie left behind thousands of admirers---students, players, colleagues, friends and his immediate and extended family.
In a post yesterday, Heather suggested, during this month in which Cazzie died, that we all do our best to perform random acts of kindness in his name and to share them, as a remembrance of the phenomenal human being he happened to be.
I rather doubt that a man I met yesterday named Logan had read Heather's post, but I couldn't help but think "random act of kindness" while out mowing lawn along the road yesterday.
A pickup with a trailer rolled by and then came to a stop. A young man with sunglasses got out and began walking toward me.
It felt pretty weird cuz I had no idea what he was up to. I turned off the mower. As he walked closer, I could see a bag in his hand.
He presented it to me and said, "Take two."
At first, I thought it was some kind of new candy and that for some bizarre reason he just wanted to share.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Ear plugs," he said. "Take two and use them."
Turns out this charming young man, who had just finished up a mowing job at our neighbor Jennifer's place, hands out ear plugs to folks on mowing machines quite often.
"Usually, they're men," he explained, "not a nice looking lady on a Husqvarna."
Yes, he was very charming.
He told me that when men tell him they never use earplugs, Logan gives them a line about being able to hear what the wife is saying.
To which some say, "I won't wear the earplugs then."
Logan's stop was random. I'd never seen him before.
Our encounter on that roadside was unlike any meeting I've ever experienced.
Nonetheless, his concern for protecting my hearing ability was definitely a nice, unexpected gesture, which once again reminding me that this world is filled with thoughtful and kind people.
Besides the earplugs, we enjoyed a brief and definitely unique get-acquainted party.
When Logan headed back to his pickup and drove off, I couldn't help but think of Cazzie Brown, and figuring that random acts of kindness from all circles are in full motion.
Thank you, Logan.
In other news, yesterday I read a note from an extended family member named Heather who lost her bigger-than-life, much beloved husband last August.
Cazzie Brown (for whom CB is named, thanks to the three Brown children) coached high school football in Salt Lake City.
He died suddenly in the midst of his second year of coaching from what was eventually determined to be West Nile Virus.
Cazzie left behind thousands of admirers---students, players, colleagues, friends and his immediate and extended family.
In a post yesterday, Heather suggested, during this month in which Cazzie died, that we all do our best to perform random acts of kindness in his name and to share them, as a remembrance of the phenomenal human being he happened to be.
I rather doubt that a man I met yesterday named Logan had read Heather's post, but I couldn't help but think "random act of kindness" while out mowing lawn along the road yesterday.
A pickup with a trailer rolled by and then came to a stop. A young man with sunglasses got out and began walking toward me.
It felt pretty weird cuz I had no idea what he was up to. I turned off the mower. As he walked closer, I could see a bag in his hand.
He presented it to me and said, "Take two."
At first, I thought it was some kind of new candy and that for some bizarre reason he just wanted to share.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Ear plugs," he said. "Take two and use them."
Turns out this charming young man, who had just finished up a mowing job at our neighbor Jennifer's place, hands out ear plugs to folks on mowing machines quite often.
"Usually, they're men," he explained, "not a nice looking lady on a Husqvarna."
Yes, he was very charming.
He told me that when men tell him they never use earplugs, Logan gives them a line about being able to hear what the wife is saying.
To which some say, "I won't wear the earplugs then."
Logan's stop was random. I'd never seen him before.
Our encounter on that roadside was unlike any meeting I've ever experienced.
Nonetheless, his concern for protecting my hearing ability was definitely a nice, unexpected gesture, which once again reminding me that this world is filled with thoughtful and kind people.
Besides the earplugs, we enjoyed a brief and definitely unique get-acquainted party.
When Logan headed back to his pickup and drove off, I couldn't help but think of Cazzie Brown, and figuring that random acts of kindness from all circles are in full motion.
Thank you, Logan.
In still more news of local and big-time sports interest, I received information yesterday about an event coming up this weekend, which will once again bring great pride to the folks in Sandpoint.
Green Bay Packer legend and Sandpoint High School grad Jerry Kramer is being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
According to one of Jerry's family members, a program featuring his enshrinement will be aired from 4-7:30 p.m. PDT on ESPN.
So, watch or record. As my friend Tammy said, it's "history making," especially for all from little ol' Sandpoint who have watched his career and waited so many years for him to receive this much-deserved honor.
After my hay was secure in the barn and the crew left, I took off for a quick drive and soon saw the reminder of what often comes to our area in the midst of hay season: forest fires.
The one pictured above is in the same Lightning Creek drainage where we drove last Saturday. A series of lightning strikes ignited flames and smokes in several spots up there that afternoon.
No doubt the one picture above (Porcupine Lake area) started as a small fire that day.
The other summer nuisance which has come to light rather dramatically during this past week of extremely hot weather is lurking just about everywhere: nasty bees.
My neighbor was stung four times the other day, one of our hay hands had been stung just before he arrived. He told me of another instance when one stung him on his forehead, causing his eyes to swell shut.
This morning I read a Facebook post by a FB friend who reported that she had disturbed an underground nest yesterday and ended up being was stung about 60 times.
Here at the Lovestead, I was lucky to escape the revenge when I bumped our manure spreader flower bed yesterday with the lawnmower.
Dozens of unhappy bees suddenly filled the air.
So, it's a time to watch every move we make, on the ground and whenever we move something, including water faucet handles where they tend to hang out.
They're definitely not in good moods.
Guess that's about it on this day when the afternoon should be fun. Along with other judges, I'll be involved in the annual 4-H interview sessions. It's always fun to meet the 4-H'ers and learn about their projects.
Happy Thursday.
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