In The Blink Of An Eye

There have been so many blog worthy moments lately, but I haven't really had the time, or more so the words to put them down. Kind of a blogger's block of sorts. Every time I sit down to write a post, the words don't seem to make sense, so I delete. Finally though, I can't hold it in any longer, my need to blog has surpassed my writer's block. So here goes...

We're only 2 weeks into summer vacation and already my kids are getting the best of me. The constant go go go. The slip and slide, the kiddie pool, the beach, the crafts, the endless laundry, the need for daily showers, doc. appointments, the park, the fights and of course the "Mom can I..." that seems to be never ending. Last week was so hot here and usually I am not one to complain about the heat, but the crankiness of my sweaty family was starting to wear on me, plus Wednesday night at the farm was so hot (95 and humid). It seemed like I was running the entire 4 hours I was there. My boss had spent all day out in the sun baling hay and most of the bales were still sitting out in the field with a forecast of rain. So after chores I stayed (because the person she lined up to help unload the hay was a no show) and helped her unload 24 giant bales of hay. I even had the opportunity to drive one of her tractors in from the hay field, a first in the three and a half years of working for her. Not that I couldn't do it, but once I show her that in fact I am capable of doing tasks she only allows the men to do, I know she'll want me to do it more often and I'm certainly not willing to give her more of my time than I already do. Watching her use the fork lift loader and tractor though was quite an amazing sight to see. She gently maneuvered the forks under each giant bale, then lifted and finagled the bales into the shed 4 high with such finesse that only a seasoned pro could accomplish. She is farmer through and through.

I also learned (again and still) that farming is a very dangerous profession. For the second time this summer, a local teenager was killed in a tractor accident. I don't know the families personally but in such a small community everyone knows each other in a round about way. The most recent teen was the grandson of the man who makes the big hay bales for my boss, they are also neighbors of my in-laws and the boy's father has worked with the gardener (my husband) on many construction projects. In fact we saw the boy and his dad at the annual dairy breakfast just last weekend and said a friendly "hello" to them both. The funeral was yesterday and we didn't go but the family was in our thoughts all day. So tragic, so young. What more can I say?