After a couple weeks of blissful sun and warm weather, it has been cold here again. Okay, “cold” might be an exaggeration…but no doubt it is chilly. Today is especially dreary with clouds and rain being added to the cool temperatures. I’m trying to keep myself warm by daydreaming of summer and all the fun that the season entails.  Summer is full of joy and fun, and for some “summer fun” might be synonomous with beaches, pools, vacation, and the like. However, here in the midwest, one could add hay to that list.
Yes, hay. I can still vividly remember moments of sheer joy in childhood, captured by galloping with unbridled enthusiasm on top of a long row of large round bales. (And yes, while “galloping” and “unbridled” are figures of speech, I will admit to, as a horse crazy youngster, always imagining that I was riding a horse.) It sounds simple and silly I know, but those who have lived the experience will agree. It is blissful.Â
The paradoxically calming and energizing smell of hay filling your nostrils, the warmth of the sun on your back and the fresh farm air on your face as you sprint headlong – leaping from bale to bale when necessary. Even slightly having the wind knocked out of you when you trip and fall onto the scratchy surface feels strangely satisfying.
So, in anticipation of the upcoming warmer months, I share these pictures taken in our hay barn last year. Enjoy, and may they warm and invigorate your spirit!Â
