September to remember

It has been a very busy month here at the farm. Labor Day weekend was very special because we had family and grandchildren here visiting. While we were in our woods the children were treated by the appearance of a black bear with twin cubs. How exciting! One of the cubs was seen again the following week as was a large bull moose with a large rack of antlers. Many flocks of geese are heard overhead almost daily as they head south for the winter. The humming birds have also departed for warmer climates. The past week culminated in getting the last of our second cut hay dried and put in the barn so our horses will have plenty to eat this winter. All of our wood for winter was cut, split, and put in the barn last spring. One of our last projects has been to bury underdrain to help dry out a couple of pastures and to help with spring runoff and that is nearing completion. Our final project is to fence two new pastures in the next 2-3 weeks, then head into the woods to work on more trails. They will be a great addition to our existing trails, all of which are used for horses as well as hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling. This past week has been unusually warm-our Indian summer! The leaves are nearing peak color, an all too graphic reminder that winter will soon be upon us. The horses are all doing great and beginning to grow their winter coats which reflect their true color as they shed their faded summer coats. The babies are getting so big now and are such a joy. The two year-olds are progressing nicely under saddle. I continue to ride Joker, Teddy and Dee several times each week and all are doing great. Able, our stallion, continues to be his usual steady, smooth ride and enjoys our rides together on the trail. As we head into October we look forward to more family and grandchildren visiting. Life is good.