--and compulsory farewell photos--
--before exchanging hugs and making our exit. We were sad to go.
The facility has undergone quite a bit of change in just a few short months: a fresh coat of exterior paint, a new (well, reclaimed) walk-in freezer, donated washer & dryer and like-new refrigerators. In the next several weeks Abbe and Anderson will convert a spare room into an aging facility. If all goes according to plan, they will begin to wash and turn wheels of tomme there as it ages for market later this fall.
At 5 pm we had one last appointment at Goat Creek Farm. As we pulled up the gravel driveway we could literally see and smell the final chore awaiting us: fresh hay--cut, dried, piled up in neat rows--waiting for us to scoop it up and bale it.
Jonathan loaded his 70's-era New Holland Baler onto the back of his Kubota and attached the hay wagon onto the back of the Baler. Then we climbed aboard the wagon and steadied ourselves, ready to pull fresh bales and stack them on the wagon. After a few hours of dusty, sweaty work in the heat, this is what I looked like:
For 7 years now I've made a living teaching Latin and English. In that time I've forgotten how good it feels to finish up a few hours of manual labor.
At last we said good-bye to all the animals and, of course, to Gwenn and family, and we called it a day.
...but this is not the end of Country Mouse! We've been convinced to stay a little longer and check out the Portage County Fair. Both Gwenn and Abbe work with the local 4-H club, and their kids will be showing goats. So we have a small promise to keep next Tuesday out at the fair grounds. I've been told that our county's fair is one of the "last authentic fairs" around, so I'll be sure to post. Until then--
No comments:
Post a Comment