Memory Lane

For twelve years Jason and I ignored a storage unit that we rented. We, well mainly Jason, packed that unit full. I will admit that I am not one for hauling around too much extra stuff. When I cleaned out my tackroom at my parents' farm a few years ago I downsized from 12 bridles to two, 8 martingales to one standing and one running, etc. I was a bit softer on my bit collection, but I still went from 30 bits to probably 10. I am a cleaner and a "purger," it runs in my family via my mom's side. Over the years there has been a few things I've regretted purging, but my life goes on with no real loss.

Jason is the opposite, he is neither a cleaner nor a purger. This is a family trait on his side as well. I had brought up cleaning out the storage unit from time to time for years, and Jason always got irritable and had 200 reasons why he didn't have the time. I finally drew a hard line with Jason and told him either he could go through his stuff and clean it out, or the owners of the storage unit could inherit it all because I wasn't paying the bill anymore after this month.

Yesterday was the day that we entered the time capsule of Jason's life. We had some interesting finds. I opened the lid on a rubbermaid tub and sitting on top was Jason's Dukes of Hazzard coloring and activity book. We found his dad's cassette tape collection. We found two of Jason's original stuffed animals from when he was a little boy. We found the show halter from Jason's first cow that he showed. We found his two Rubik's cubes (apparently he wasn't very good at solving them). One of my favorite rubbermaid totes was due to the label; "Christmas decorations and decorations not necessarily associated with Christmas." I'm not joking, that was how he had labeled the tote.  We found his skis, his toy tractor collection, his bag of marbles, every certificate or award he ever won from middle school on, and all kinds of stuff I've already forgotten. An entire 12' x 10' unit filled to the ceiling with  Jason's treasures.

In a hot, sweaty and dusty way it was kind of fun to look through the tons (literally tons) of stuff Jason has been storing for the last twelve years.

Jason's Mickey Mouse and teddy bear

Jason's tractor collection and Rubik's cubes

Homer coming through the fog for breakfast

a meeting of the grey horse club; Gus, Cocomo, George and Asterik

Romeo (back left) tried to sneak into a grey horse club meeting; Silver, Cocomo, Gus

Baner and Taylor hanging out

Baby

a snack for the World's Cutest Fainting Goats

Norman and Traveller

Merlin and Alfie

Rubrico and Johnny

MyLight, Cinnamon and Dawn waiting for breakfast

Lily and Maisie grooming before breakfast

Convey and Trigger

Donneur and Lofty

Blu and B-Rad hanging out in the woods

Sunday Stills

Silver and Lotus grooming

Charlotte and Dolly

Johnny and Paramount

Revy, Moe and Thomas

Grand and Rip

Homer and Elfin

Miel and Taco

Squirrel and Sushi

Ripley and Magic

Miel

Cisco and Trigger

Faune and Gus grooming

Lofty and Gibson

Romeo and Flyer

Alfie and Taylor

Full Hay Barns

Jason has been getting antsy as we usually have first cutting hay filling up our barns by mid to late May. This year it has been more difficult to source quality hay. The hay field yields in our area are down due to drought damage from last year, prices are up, and many people didn't get their first cutting off as quickly as normal due to weather. All of these things added up to us having 2.5 of our 3 hay barns being empty. 

Thankfully we began to rectify that today. We put a dozen large loads of hay into two of our hay barns today. We're far from done filling our farm up, but we're a lot closer than we were this morning. Our goal is always to fill our barns up with first cutting hay in the spring, and since building our third hay barn last year we can now store a year's supply of hay.  We will both sleep better tonight knowing that not only did we put a lot of hay in the barns today, there is even more coming tomorrow. 

a big load of fresh hay is always a welcome site on any farm; we had the pleasure of seeing this turning into our farm about a dozen times today

Of our three hay barns, this one is now full and another is well on its way

Rip and Revy

Renatta and Dolly

King and Trigger

Cuffie and Lily

Dawn

Charlotte and Calimba

we like them lined up and orderly at feeding time; Mick, Johnny, Happy, Lighty and Sam

Rubrico

Walon and Roho

Walden and Fabrizzio

Fabrizzio, Remmy and Duesy

Duesy, Baner, Hesse and Bruno

Baner, Bruno, Hesse, Cino and Havana