What I like best about the antique whimsy in our yard is that it never needs to be brought inside and protected over the winter. It stays outside where we can appreciate it all year long -- in this case, every time we go in-or-out of our back door. I also like the history that comes along with each piece. This awesome 'vintage double harpoon hay fork' was given to us by our friend/neighbor Becky. She told us that one day it spoke to her and said that it needed to be in our yard instead of her storage shed. Who can argue with that? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT.

The first hay carrier patent goes back to the 1860's and the hay forks were still in use up until about the early 1940's. Carriers needed to be simple, dependable and strong to quickly harvest the valuable hay crop. The forks evolved from primitive blacksmith-forged single “prongs” into multiple fork varieties.

Vintage hay forks like this one were used to lift and hold the hay from a horse-drawn wagon as it was suspended into the barn loft during the era of loose hay handling. The fork was then attached to a 'trolley' riding on a track which extended the length of the barn. A rope ran from outside the barn front, through a pulley to the fork, then through a second pulley and out the rear of the barn and hitched to a horse. Once the fork was set into the hay, the horse pulled the fork up to the trolley,  into the hay loft to the desired spot. Once there, a person pulled a "trip" rope attached to the fork which let the tines fall to vertical, dumping the hay.

After years of hard work, our vintage hay fork is now in retirement and sits by our back door just looking good. Thanks Becky!

Hay carrier history is from an article entitled 'A bit about hay carriers' by Dennis McGrew & Doug DeShazer, 2012.

Time for Liquid Fence! On one of the nice afternoons we had about a week ago I took some time to check out every single plant in my yard. While doing so, I saw deer hoof prints EVERYWHERE. Plants that were showing any kind of green were eaten right down to the dirt (aside from the daffodils, which the deer detest).

At our house, we routinely get 13-14 deer at a time that roam through our yard. A herd of deer can easily wipe out my entire flower garden in one evening -- and that has happened. Now we begin spraying Liquid Fence very early in the spring to let the deer know that our plants are disgusting to eat and to stay away. By July, Bambi and his friends just trot on by and don't even stop to investigate.

We generally mix our Liquid Fence half-and-half with our own tried-and-true concoction. With the help of an electric hand mixer we bought at a garage sale (outside use only - ha!), we mix up some of our own nasty stuff. This helps the budget.

 Here's the recipe:
   2 eggs
   2 heaping tablespoons powdered garlic
   1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
   1/2 gallon milk (or more) with added warm water to almost fill the gallon container

Mix well with an electric hand mixer to make sure it won't clog up the sprayer.

We sprayed our first application yesterday afternoon. Let the training begin! Each spray can last up to about two weeks IF there is no rain. When it rains, we re-spray again on the first nice day. Oh, and if you have neighbors you may want to wait until about 8:00 pm to spray. It smells pretty rancid, but by morning it won't be so bad :)  Works like a charm!

This photo was taken a few years ago when a young buck got caught in the cookie jar.

I was cleaning out an old box of photos and came upon this one and countless others from a part of my life that is long gone. Horses. They were my very first passion in life. For as long as I can remember, I had to be on a horse. My first ride was at age 3 and I have a photo to document the event. After relentless begging, when I turned 8 years old my parents finally allowed me to start taking weekly riding lessons. I learned to ride 'hunt seat' on retired polo ponies - every week on a different horse to build up a skill set. Horses, if you are unfamiliar, are just like people; they have unique quirks and varied personalities. Each ride is a completely different experience. Some horses are agreeable and pleasant, while others are ornery and stubborn. Your job, as the rider, is to to elicit the behavior you want. And horses are smart...they don't hesitate to take advantage of their riders if they can.

Most of all, I loved jumping over fences. What an adrenaline rush when you are on a big horse riding over a course of fences! And yes, it's dangerous. Helmet = Important. I've heard it said that if you spend a considerable time around horses it's not IF you get injured, but WHEN. And, I'm certain proof of that. I lost count of the times I've fallen off. I've been bruised, bitten, stepped on, kicked, had stitches, broken bones, and surgery. But damn, I loved those horses!

As time went by there was college graduation...job...marriage...children...more school. There was no time (or money) for horses. I reminisce about this part of my life with much fondness and think about all the good friends, the fun times, a few trophies and ribbons, but most of all, the majestic, wonderful horses.

Pictured is me, at about age 16 in mid-winter, old riding "King Nakoma,." The name 'Nakoma' is of Native American origin and it means "great warrior or great spirit" which suited this gentle giant perfectly.