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.
Showing posts with label hay ride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hay ride. Show all posts
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Thursday, October 25, 2012
October Was Kind to Me: OT Day 25
So this isn't a very traditional thought, it is more like a diary of my day, but it has October wonderfulness stamped all over it, so I'm gonna post it.
The day started off late, for me anyway. It seems that I slept through the first October snow. I'm ok with that though. I am much happier with rain. Not so much its frozen cousin. Though it does tend to make things pretty. But we are getting off topic. When I got up everyone was gone. Not in Home Alone they all flew to Paris without me kind of way, but everyone had errands or appointments and had to skedaddle. So it was a lonely breakfast. At least I had my monster cereal to keep me company.
I had a doctors appointment that I was hesitant to go to and once there I didn't get the best of news. BUT, that is when the October magic started to kick in. I brought my zombie book with me to pass the time in the waiting room and had fun scaring myself silly over the totally plausible and immanent zombie outbreak that was sure to happen while I was sitting there. A man coughed. A woman was eating something sketchy out of her purse and a little boy was moaning. When the nurse called my name I was off like a shot. I wasn’t going to stay there in that zombie breeding ground. I spent the time in the exam room waiting for the doctor devising ways that I could Spider Man myself down the side of the building to get away from the surely mounting zombie hoard.
After the appointment I was feeling both a bit depressed with the results and elated that I didn't end up zombie snack food. So I treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte and some sweet potato curly fries. I drove down to the park and watched the river run by as I munched and slurped. The day was beautiful and overcast and every now and again it would spit rain for a handful of minutes. It was my kind of day.
When I got back home, I found a package waiting for me. I had forgotten that I had even ordered it. Inside were my autumn truffles. Some are shaped like pumpkins, some like leaves and acorns. But by far my favorites are the monster collection. There are four truffles and they all look like something spooky. They are so well done that I don't even want to eat them. I want to shellac them and keep them forever as decorations. I'm sure I'll get over it and be eating them by morning.....or at least late afternoon.
While I was truffle gazing I had a brain storm. It was a cold, miserable day by normal person standards. By my standards it was perfect. I decided right then and there to go to the corn maze. It was cold, the wind was blowing and it was spitting rain. That meant that I got to wear my boots. SCORE! So I loaded up my gear and off I went.
Once I got there, I found that I was the only customer! I kinda had a feeling about that. Man was I excited. I was practically hopping up and down as the cashier gave me my instructions. I chose the hard section of the maze first and happily squished my way down the rows. I got my boots and pants good and muddy and I only managed to fall down once. Who knew that mud was slippery. I saw black birds in the maze and one bunny. At least I think it was a bunny. It was kinda large and grey and could possibly have been a cat. But I don't think that cats hop. But man, that bunnycat was like the Hulk of animals. I kept a wary eye out the rest of the time let me tell you.
I gazed at the sky. I listened to the crunch of the stalks as I walked by. I took pictures, I hummed, I listened to the silence. It was amazing to have the whole maze to myself. It was a gift just for me. And I didn't get lost once. Yes, I am going to brag. The big maze is supposed to take a forty five minutes to an hour. It took me half an hour. And no I wasn't running, I was meandering and taking pictures and looking at birds and bunnycats. The smaller maze is supposed to take twenty minutes. It only took me ten. I felt a little sad that I whizzed through both mazes, but it was still fun.
I took some time to feed the goats, I wandered around the cow train. I did the mini maze for kids, I eyed the zip line that I was too big to ride on and I tried to take a picture of myself and the inflatable pumpkin that they have at the entrance.
I was so stoked after going through the maze. I really thought that I was going to miss out this year. It was a pleasant surprise that I didn't. I chatted with the maze owner and his grandson who seemed to think that I was very brave to go into the maze alone. He kept pointing at me with his eyes real wide and telling his dad that I was going in the maze. I'm glad I impressed someone today.
On the way home I was still jazzed about the maze experience and didn't want the October fun to end, so I bundled up mom and one of our house guests and drove them back to the maze. I am still not brave enough to go through the maze after dark. But I did want to go on the hay ride. Again, we were the only customers in the place and the owner was so amused that I came back and brought friends that he let us go on the hay ride for free. We all bought cider and took a ride under the stars. It was AMAZING. The moon was peeking from behind hazy dark clouds and casting beautiful reflections on the water. The corn stalks were luminescent in the moon light and it was perfection. The hay wagon was comfortable and the ride smooth. It was the perfect way to end the evening.
Once we got back to the drop off point I went over to the pumpkin patch and yes, I bought two more pumpkins. I would have bought four more but decided to exercise some restraint. They really were perfect pumpkins though. Simply gorgeous. I may even carve one. I think this puts my count at thirteen, possibly fourteen now. I'm sure I will probably buy a few more before the month is out. I'm kinda glad it is almost over. If my pumpkins were to stage an uprising we in the house are already woefully outnumbered. I don't want to add any more potential soldiers to their cause.
Once home I settled down and watched a few Halloween specials which made me laugh. After they were over, I got to sit in the darkened living room while everyone was asleep and eat Franken Berry cereal and watch the Halloween village blink. Right now I am sitting on the couch with a puppy curled up on one side of me and a kitty on the other. The puppy has one of my candy corn holiday socks stuffed in his mouth and seems quite content. The kitty is passed out on my leg and snoring loud enough to drown out the highway traffic noises. It is a good evening and the perfect end to an almost perfect day. I can't wait to see what October has in store for me tomorrow!
The day started off late, for me anyway. It seems that I slept through the first October snow. I'm ok with that though. I am much happier with rain. Not so much its frozen cousin. Though it does tend to make things pretty. But we are getting off topic. When I got up everyone was gone. Not in Home Alone they all flew to Paris without me kind of way, but everyone had errands or appointments and had to skedaddle. So it was a lonely breakfast. At least I had my monster cereal to keep me company.
I had a doctors appointment that I was hesitant to go to and once there I didn't get the best of news. BUT, that is when the October magic started to kick in. I brought my zombie book with me to pass the time in the waiting room and had fun scaring myself silly over the totally plausible and immanent zombie outbreak that was sure to happen while I was sitting there. A man coughed. A woman was eating something sketchy out of her purse and a little boy was moaning. When the nurse called my name I was off like a shot. I wasn’t going to stay there in that zombie breeding ground. I spent the time in the exam room waiting for the doctor devising ways that I could Spider Man myself down the side of the building to get away from the surely mounting zombie hoard.
After the appointment I was feeling both a bit depressed with the results and elated that I didn't end up zombie snack food. So I treated myself to a pumpkin spice latte and some sweet potato curly fries. I drove down to the park and watched the river run by as I munched and slurped. The day was beautiful and overcast and every now and again it would spit rain for a handful of minutes. It was my kind of day.
When I got back home, I found a package waiting for me. I had forgotten that I had even ordered it. Inside were my autumn truffles. Some are shaped like pumpkins, some like leaves and acorns. But by far my favorites are the monster collection. There are four truffles and they all look like something spooky. They are so well done that I don't even want to eat them. I want to shellac them and keep them forever as decorations. I'm sure I'll get over it and be eating them by morning.....or at least late afternoon.
While I was truffle gazing I had a brain storm. It was a cold, miserable day by normal person standards. By my standards it was perfect. I decided right then and there to go to the corn maze. It was cold, the wind was blowing and it was spitting rain. That meant that I got to wear my boots. SCORE! So I loaded up my gear and off I went.
Once I got there, I found that I was the only customer! I kinda had a feeling about that. Man was I excited. I was practically hopping up and down as the cashier gave me my instructions. I chose the hard section of the maze first and happily squished my way down the rows. I got my boots and pants good and muddy and I only managed to fall down once. Who knew that mud was slippery. I saw black birds in the maze and one bunny. At least I think it was a bunny. It was kinda large and grey and could possibly have been a cat. But I don't think that cats hop. But man, that bunnycat was like the Hulk of animals. I kept a wary eye out the rest of the time let me tell you.
I gazed at the sky. I listened to the crunch of the stalks as I walked by. I took pictures, I hummed, I listened to the silence. It was amazing to have the whole maze to myself. It was a gift just for me. And I didn't get lost once. Yes, I am going to brag. The big maze is supposed to take a forty five minutes to an hour. It took me half an hour. And no I wasn't running, I was meandering and taking pictures and looking at birds and bunnycats. The smaller maze is supposed to take twenty minutes. It only took me ten. I felt a little sad that I whizzed through both mazes, but it was still fun.
I took some time to feed the goats, I wandered around the cow train. I did the mini maze for kids, I eyed the zip line that I was too big to ride on and I tried to take a picture of myself and the inflatable pumpkin that they have at the entrance.
I was so stoked after going through the maze. I really thought that I was going to miss out this year. It was a pleasant surprise that I didn't. I chatted with the maze owner and his grandson who seemed to think that I was very brave to go into the maze alone. He kept pointing at me with his eyes real wide and telling his dad that I was going in the maze. I'm glad I impressed someone today.
On the way home I was still jazzed about the maze experience and didn't want the October fun to end, so I bundled up mom and one of our house guests and drove them back to the maze. I am still not brave enough to go through the maze after dark. But I did want to go on the hay ride. Again, we were the only customers in the place and the owner was so amused that I came back and brought friends that he let us go on the hay ride for free. We all bought cider and took a ride under the stars. It was AMAZING. The moon was peeking from behind hazy dark clouds and casting beautiful reflections on the water. The corn stalks were luminescent in the moon light and it was perfection. The hay wagon was comfortable and the ride smooth. It was the perfect way to end the evening.
Once we got back to the drop off point I went over to the pumpkin patch and yes, I bought two more pumpkins. I would have bought four more but decided to exercise some restraint. They really were perfect pumpkins though. Simply gorgeous. I may even carve one. I think this puts my count at thirteen, possibly fourteen now. I'm sure I will probably buy a few more before the month is out. I'm kinda glad it is almost over. If my pumpkins were to stage an uprising we in the house are already woefully outnumbered. I don't want to add any more potential soldiers to their cause.
Once home I settled down and watched a few Halloween specials which made me laugh. After they were over, I got to sit in the darkened living room while everyone was asleep and eat Franken Berry cereal and watch the Halloween village blink. Right now I am sitting on the couch with a puppy curled up on one side of me and a kitty on the other. The puppy has one of my candy corn holiday socks stuffed in his mouth and seems quite content. The kitty is passed out on my leg and snoring loud enough to drown out the highway traffic noises. It is a good evening and the perfect end to an almost perfect day. I can't wait to see what October has in store for me tomorrow!
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