Last evening, as I pondered weak and weary, another wonderful October thought presented itself to me. Hay rides. I simply adore hay rides. How could I have gone this long into the month without even thinking of them? I tell you people, my mojo is off. Someone stick some Halloween socks on me and rub my head with a cool pumpkin smelling cloth post haste.
Hay rides are a must for October. The cool, crisp air. The canopy of stars overhead or the dazzling array of leaves all around. The thought of cocoa or cider waiting at the trails end. Hay rides are the landlocked country equivalent to gondola rides in Venice. One can snuggle up quite close and not run the risk of being dumped off into fetid canal water. Well most of the time anyway. There is the clip clop of the horses hooves or the deep rumble of the tractor to lull you out of yourself and into relaxation. Nothing and I mean nothing beats a good hay ride.
Hay rides can come in many forms. There is the old fashioned carts, the modified trailers, the cobbled together contrivances and the cow trains for the kiddies. You can mix and match a hay ride any way you want. There can actually be a pile of hay to craw into or bales to sit on. Maybe you fix up the back of a truck bed and make things all nice and cozy with blankets and pillows.
Perhaps you are whisked away down dark country lanes or around farm property. Maybe you are at a city function and only travel along the closed down streets. No matter what, hay rides give time for contemplation, relaxation, snuggling, singing, star gazing, leaf peeping, flights of fancy and in some cases shrieks and spooks. There can be romantic hay rides, fun hay rides, haunted hay rides, rides to enjoy the scenery and rides just for fun.
The only bad things about hay rides are that I never think they last long enough, and it is almost next to impossible to drink a beverage while on one. I have tried and most of the time the liquid soaks into the floorboards more than it makes it to my mouth. Potholes and uneven ground are the bane of my hay riding joy, but I can still see the bright side.
Hay rides force one to take a minute and slow down. Unless you had a frightened driver who was speeding because he was being chased by a headless horseman, most hay rides are slow. You have time to just be. You can't be in a hurry. And even if you could get out and walk faster, why would you? A hay ride is like a mini vacation from yourself. You can just get lost in the motion of the wagon and let the Octoberness of it all envelope you. I think the world would be a better place if there were more hayrides.
So that is my challenge to you. With the dwindling time we have left in this most wonderful of months, I implore you to go out, find a local or not so local hay ride and enjoy yourself. Take some time out for you. Let the magic and wonder wash over you and try not to think about how itchy the hay is. I promise you will enjoy yourself.
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