FARM DAY WESTERN STYLE

We do not have a real farm out here in the west as we did in Michigan, but we do have a place in St. Charles Idaho that is farmed. We have, as you know, eleven acres on Rt. 89 on the edge of Bear Lake.

The acreage is farmed and the hay is cut and bailed and cows graze the fields after the hay harvest so it seems like a farm.

We used to have farm days in Michigan and it seems that the patterns are are deep still ongoing but shifted in space and time, down a generation.

Here is a picture of Opa giving the kids a ride around the place as we pick up fallen branches and timber.


Doug and Mike came to help close the place for the winter. They each brought five of their kids so we had 10 kids including teenagers in addition to four adults. It was a blast.

We drove up Friday night, started a fire in the potbelly stove and of course settled in for a little DVD watching. Mr Bean is always a favorite but they watched something else. I can't say when they went to bed as the Moms might object but even going to bed, there was conversation past midnight. Here are the kids watching a DVD/
In the morning, Opa cooked a huge breakfast for everyone and 3 1/2 dozen scrambled eggs, many pancakes, toast, juice and bacon laid the foundation of another work day at the farm.

Doug and Mike were full of energy and started on the projects. Take the rack and tire off the roof of the Rock climber (the Induna) and fit it into the garage. Start up all the motors and bring the equipment to the yard.
We then picked up many trailer loads of branches and sticks everywhere. Cottonwood trees shed branches. Then we had a huge fire.

Here is Nate tending the fire. Doug found a huge pile of buried fencing and we pulled that out of the brush. Everyone went around and picked up loose scrap metal and we filled the trailer for a dump run.

No farm day was ever complete, even in Michigan, without the dump run. The dump is in Montpelier and has a nice view. It is so great to get rid of junk fouling up the place.


Here are the guys at the dump.. almost a ritual for farm days.












Then it was to winterize the place, clean it up and load the gear. Mom did a huge job of cleaning and as it got close to leaving, getting the kids out of the house for the final clean. They found places high in the Cottonwood trees to climb.

The equipment is loaded and off to Salt Lake. Doug and Mike did a great job and the kids all helped on a memorable farm day in Idaho.











While we were at the farm, Bryan was hunting in Michigan and was in my Taj Mahal blind on my favorite spot and bagged this monster Michigan buck.

Ah well ......it was fun at the farm.

Love, OPA