Ten Days...

Here we go again. More than ten days have passed since I last made a blog entry, not for lack of anything to say, but from lack of time. As can be expected, the month of May is a crazy busy one: weddings, Quinceanneras, Sweet 16's, proms, regular contracts, winery tours. Plowing, harrowing, discing, planting. Logging. Buying and selling horses, general upkeep of our own —shoes, worming, spring grooming and clipping. Shopping for puppies, a new (used) car for my daughter, and hay and grain to fuel our increasingly active horses. And we are just half way through the month as of this writing...

Rides, weddings, Quinces and proms are in full swing again, and are joyous this time of year. The leaves are budding, the ornamental flower trees and fruit trees shower us with pink, white and lavender petals. It has been a banner year for pollen in the northeast, too, and light green faerie dust covers everything. The days are intermingled with brilliant sunshine and rainy skies. The rain doesn't hamper us much, though, and we welcome it as we watch our flower, vegetable and herb gardens grow. In between the tender plants and artful flowers spring rapidly growing weeds. The wild birds are gluttons at the numerous bird feeders in our yard, and frogs are once again occupying the fish pond. The pullets are getting big, and the ducks are laying eggs — one has been nesting for some time and I expect to see ducklings soon.

In just two weeks, we celebrate Memorial Day, then we celebrate the halfway mark through the year 2011. Where is Time going to?

Photos: Top: A recent wedding at St. Clement's Castle, Gillette & Diesel on the vis-a-vis.

Second: The Cinderella Carriage with Sam & Cody in Hartford for a recent Quinceannera.

Third: All the teams are being shod. Here Dolly is put in the stocks because the farrier says she habitually leans her massive body on him! Danny, however, has improved and no longer needs the stocks.

Fourth: New hay bales, weighing approximately 1400lbs a piece. The flakes equal an average square bale and one flake feeds a team at each feeding. Also put up this week was a load of first cut Alfalfa out of PA. Half a bale of that highly nutritional hay at each feeding is more than enough for each team!

Bottom: An Amish-made culter packer.