This fall has been fairly hectic, but we’re closing in on winter, and a quieter time on the farm. A little more time for reflection (I hope). Time to sit back and take stock of progress on the farm. Towards that end- I’m thankful for:

A healthy and happy herd of horses. We had a beautiful foal born this year.

All of our hay is up for the winter, beautiful green hay, that smells so wonderful. Thank you to Bob and Brett for keeping my horses in the best quality hay!

The garden produced well this year–lots of beans to cook up this winter. We grew two new varieties– a runner bean that turned out to be the best green beans we have ever had (and bonus, cook up in 1/2 the time of normal string beans). A BONUS bonus: their red flowers attracted many hummingbirds: a pleasant distraction while weeding. The other bean is a mixed up cross of beans with colors of gold, maroon, black, and a few speckled white/black beans that make the best baked beans we’ve had. For the first time, we grew flint corn for making cornmeal- which has been delicious.

I manured the garden too heavily this spring, so while the tomatoes grew like there was no tomorrow– literally a jungle of tomato plants– they set few flowers and even fewer fruits. I am grateful for this lesson.

I am thankful for the folks who gave a few of our horses new homes and I look forward to hearing stories of their progress.

We have our own “home grown” farrier- one of my former students has taken up the craft. She came out and we trimmed some hooves together. It was wonderful to catch up and my horses’ hooves look great! We also gave Red her first driving lesson- so much easier for a horse to learn that with some help. Thank you Esther!

I a grateful for my wonderfully intelligent and gentle stallion, who continues to be the best professor on the farm (Thank you Lou Ellen!). He had last winter off from work, while I used a couple of younger horses for feeding out hay and skidding firewood. He is back in the rotation for this winter though. And he has not forgotten a thing. I brought him out to work alongside Belle. After a brief introduction and gentle reminder that we’re here for work, not breeding; he settled right in with his usual calm, quiet attitude. We have used this team a couple of times to feed out hay. They are still learning how to pull together but already they are working as a team. There is a time in there with young stock that you feel like you’re still mostly training, and out of that you manage to get some work done. Then at some point, you realize that they know their job and most of what you’re doing is getting work done. Belle and Sonny are there and I am looking forward to a winter of working this team.

Finally thank you to all who have been in touch. From all of us, we sincerely hope that you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving.