RicelandMeadows

August 2, 2025

One of our mares, Abby, with her 2025 daughter Claire, enjoying a cool day in August. It has been very hot and muggy here for the last two weeks. Yesterday it was only in the low 70’s F. It seemed almost cold. How can that be?!

August marks the last month of summer. The children will soon be headed off to school. Our county fair starts next week. That event always signals the waning days of summer vacation for me even after all these years. It just makes me sigh.

The rains were persistent for much of July. They weren’t plentiful, but they were many, enough to make haymaking tough. Our pastures are doing good still, as the grasses love the rainy, hot days. Our garden too is doing well.

I have been working steady on the old barn renovation. You will see some teachable moments in my progress as my grandson and I started putting the siding on. The boards, sawed from our woodlot, will add warmth and strength to the building. The whole thing will be covered in steel siding in the future, making for a low maintenance building.

We learned 5:12 roof angles on the gables. It got better as we went. The door track header will hide our mistakes. Then the steel will make it all look professional.

We ran out of material, but made good strides. The rest of the lumber will be ready soon. Clear panels will complete the side, letting in natural light. It is nice to see this building taking shape. Once an old hog barn, soon to be an efficient draft horse barn. The concrete is the next big project. I hope to get that done before August fades away.