It’s haying time around here, actually it has been for a few weeks now. When the sun came out it was time to cut down the grass, let it dry and start baling. If there’s a better smell in the world, I don’t know what it is.

At our end of the road not many of us are really farming. There’s a lot of chickens, pheasants and a few cows. But mostly as hobby farms, not operating farms. So there are a number of empty pastures. Mostly our neighbors let their fields go to hay so that they don’t have to waste time and gas mowing. And they all use the same farmer to cut their hay. His name is Larry and he’s a hoot!

I know how old he is (he told me today) but I’m not telling. He was actually born just down the street from our old house in Everett and moved up here with his folks in the early 50s. He still lives just down the way on a nice big parcel. This time of year he cuts fields for free, bales and sells the hay. It works out well for everyone because he doesn’t have to pay to lease land and his customers don’t have to pay to have their fields cut.

Mike and I talked to him for a while the other night and then tonight he was here with his boxer Babe when I got home. He asked if Jake could come out and play and I picked up sticks along the edge of his hay line while he raked and flipped some still damp hay.

He’s a font of fascinating information. He tells great stories about all the old families and when (and why) the trees were cleared, who had what kind of animals. For instance, our house and the one way down on the corner and the one across from us used to be the only houses at this end of the road. In fact when he was a kid the guy that owned our place used to keep injured thoroughbreds here and he used to ride his bike down and take care of them when the owner was out of town.

All of our neighbors are fabulous, most with animals and gardens of their own. Everyone has been friendly and helpful and we definitely feel like we’re home. And someone like Larry. I love Larry. I could stand outside and talk to him for hours. I can only hope that we meet more locals like him.

Unfortunately, we’re one of the only places on our road that hasn’t had hay cut and that’s because we’ve been informed by Larry that we’ve got too many trees and too many hidden surprises out in our 2 acres. And he’s completely right. So we’re talking to him about coming back when haying is done and cutting it with a brush hog for us. And if we get the dead trees and old stumps cleaned up he says he’ll consider cutting the bigger sections for us next time.

*****

I should start paying the two neighbors with pretty red barns rent for the charm they lend our view and our photos…