Pretty Things

So last weekend I traveled to Nampa, ID to watch Erin show her horse, HotRod, for three days.  On the way I saw some interesting things, but I also so saw pretty things.  One was this view of the sky.  The colors of pink and lavender were so pretty together.  It was quite amazing to see this much color in the sky in front of me since the sun was setting behind me as I drove.

Once I got to Nampa, I was got to see lots of pretty horses and riders.  However, my sister and her horse were the prettiest to me!  Here they are!

Erin and HotRod before the halter and showmanship classes they won!

Erin waiting for places after an English class.  She won several English classes over the weekend.

Erin waiting for one of her western classes to begin.  She did very well and won some of these classes too!

HotRod is resting and getting in the zone for halter and showmanship while Erin shows off her new outfit.  It looks so good on her!

Well, I think it's safe to say I saw pretty things on my trip, and Erin and HotRod were the prettiest!

On my way to Nampa, ID

I saw something I'd never seen before.  It was quite a sight, and it made my passenger and I laugh very hard.  It began with a jacked up, lime green, four door Dodge pickup stopped in the certain of the on ramp on Interstate 84.  We saw the truck stopped from a distance and as we passed we saw this old grungy man climbing into the bed of the truck.  It appeared that he was going to lay down on everything else that was piled in the truck bed.  What made this sight strange was the fact that it was in the middle of no where and there weren't any other people outside the truck.

After we drove by, I kept watching in my review mirror.  The truck finally entered the road way and caught up to us.  I had my friend get the camera out because I wanted a picture of what I was about to see. 

When the truck passed by, five smiling country boys waved at my friend and I.  I know they saw the camera because they took their speed down a notch, which made it easy to capture this picture.

Yes, the man did end up laying down in the truck.  Yes, his eyes are closed, but I don't know how they could be.  I would be scared to death riding in the bed of a truck at 70mph in a truck with a cab full of boys!  Yes, that is a large suit case teetering on the tool box and could easily fall on him if stopped quick or turned too sharp.

I understand that the man is probably homeless, and if that is the case it was kind of those boys to give him a ride.  I just had to catch a picture of this because it reminded me of those crazy stories others share about the things they see out on the road.

First Cutting

First cutting refers to cutting and making hay for the first time in a season.  Hopefully, we can get four cuttings this season.  We started cutting hay about 8 days ago and finally 2 days ago were able to start baling it.  My dad and I started day 3 of baling this morning at 5 a.m.  There are a few more days/nights of baling until we get all of first cutting baled and stacked.  When I say there are days and nights, I mean it.  Depending on the type of hay we are putting up decides what time of day we can bale.  If it's grass hay, we can bale in the afternoon into the evening.  If it's alfalfa, we can bale during the night and sometimes into the early morning depending on the temperature and dew.  This making hay stuff is tricky business, but when done right is quite pretty and profitable. 

1. First, my dad cuts the hay with a swather.

2. Next, he fluffs it with a fluffer so that it drys quicker.

3. The hay is completely scattered after being fluffed.

4. Then the hay is raked with rake pulled behind a tractor.

5. The baler, also pulled with a tractor, follows the rake to make cute little rectangular bales.

6. After the baler, my dad goes in with the harrow bed to pick up, and stack the bales in the barn.

(Sorry, but I don't have pictures of everything because it is difficult to take pictures of the last steps because I'm driving one tractor or another at this point.)

Normally, we start first cutting in May and would be making second cutting right now instead of first cutting.  Due to rainy, cool temperatures, unpredictable, and over all cruddy hay making weather we had to wait to start making hay.  Let me tell ya, farmers were getting antsy just sitting and waiting for the clouds to clear and let the sun shine warm.  Let me tell ya, we are so happy to finally be putting up some hay and we will be even happier when a semi truck comes to haul it away!!