At it again!

They cut the hay....we let it bake in the sun....they wind-rowed it....and the rains came! Not enough to really help our drought but enough to wet the hay...over and over and over again!

I was tempted to rake it up and burn it but thought at least it would make great bedding. So, the other day we began the job again. Jeremy wind-rowed it for the second time and let it dry out. That evening he baled it and we picked it up around 8 in the evening....much cooler than our last experience in heat that topped 100 degrees. This time we ended up with almost 100 bales. This is wonderful since 4 legged creatures keep finding their way to our farm :)



Jeremy and Josiah amaze me with their strength...and their willingness to work hard without grumbling. I so appreciate them!

Who needs the latest weight lifting machines? These boys have bulgy muscles...just from daily life on the farm! It takes a couple of hours to heft 100 bales of hay onto the wagon...by the end it is 4 layers high - then we have to head for the barn...unload and start again to fill the next wagon!



He a picture from the bottom of the field looking up towards our home. The barn is what we call the "lower barn". We use it right now to store equipment. It needs a new roof, some gutters and some repairs inside and on the doors...not a lot but we have great plans!

Here is Elijah...he isn't quite big enough yet to lift the bales but he loves to be a part. He spends part of the



time navigating for me and part of the time exploring the newly mowed field. If you look close you will see binoculars around his neck.

He is keeping an eye out for coyotes. We have had two - one huge and one small - lurking in the early morning and evening hours. The boys have been taking their rifles with them to do chores.

Elijah has a love for the Father's creation....he loves to explore it, study it and read about it. (And collect it! Much to my dismay!!!)



I like looking at the finished bales in the fields. It is much the same satisfaction I get when I look at my pantry shelves filling up from the garden.

I think it is the sense of a job well done, a feeling of thankfulness that the Father is allowing us to prepare for the coming cold months and the knowing that because of Him and our diligence we will be able to feed ourselves and the livestock that He has placed in our hands to steward.


And here is Faith...our farm dog. We rescued Faith as a puppy from certain death. She is a silly dog but a good watch dog and certainly stays close to the boys.

Silly....because she always lays down with what we call "prissy paws"....her paws are always crossed very properly. Silly...because if you throw her a bone, a piece of watermelon...pretty much anything...the first thing she does is to put it on the ground lay down on it and roll over so that she rubs it all over her back! I have to get it on video and figure out how to put it up here. It is a guaranteed belly laugh! Silly...because while she is drinking her water she is simultaneously trying to dig the bottom out of the tub with both paws...or maybe she is just trying to cool off her belly!



And here is our finished work....this is the second load!

The first load was 4 layers high! We took it up, unloaded it into the barn and went back for the rest. Dusk was falling and rain was coming again so we didn't want to let it wait till the next day.

We are thankful to our Father for His provision! We feel that by the time we are done, we will not have worries this fall/winter when it comes to feeding our animals.

There was a terrible hay shortage in our region last year. Because of the drought, people were feeding hay from the summer clear into winter. The pastures just weren't growing...no matter how much land you owned...or how much pasture you had available...there wasn't any food in them! I know people who spent tens of thousands on hay last year. Our county government was having it shipped in from other parts of the country. I know people this year who are selling off their herds....because we are in the same situation. Although we have had some rain, there are parts of the county that haven't had much and their pastures are dry and brown.

We are truly thankful...our Father has blessed us amazingly! Our fields are not growing much but they are still green. Our pond may be receding but still has plenty of water for the animals. Truly we have been shown much grace and mercy. We are continually humbled and amazed at His provision in our lives!