Summer's Evening Chores

When the days are long and the warm air is filled with the smell of newly cut hay, there's something special about doing the summer evening chores.

For my husband and I, evening chores in the summer bring a lazy, slowness when it's time to feed our horses.  The warmer temperatures encourage us to stay out with them longer then the cold, dark evenings of winter.  This is the time of year to take advantage of interacting with our horses because ninety days from now it will once again be dark at evening feeding time.

While my husband feeds in the morning, we come out together to do the evening chores, the same way it's been for over twelve years.  We separate our horses so they can eat their grain in peace. 

Sunny Bear (Bear), our older Belgian, gets extra Senior Feed and supplements.  Bear is an older horse.  In his soft, kind eyes you can see that he's traveled many roads in his life.  It's a challenge to keep any weight on Bear these days, no matter how many supplements and types of feed we offer him.  We worry about Bear and this coming winter.

Gus, our younger Belgian, gets very little grain, delivered with a lot of pomp and circumstance.  I pour Gus's grain slowly into his bucket located in one of our empty stalls.  As I pour I can feel Gus watching me.  I make sure the grain makes a lot of noise, knowing Gus will then think he has a lot of grain.  Such is part of the pomp and circumstance. 

In Gus's mind, he's been a good boy, being patient as he's watched me.  If I don't quickly go and slide the stall door open, he will start to paw and nicker.  Youngsters!  Always in a hurry.

I slide the stall door open and Gus walks past me.  He takes a hard left and goes into the stall where his grain awaits him.  Considering how huge Gus is, this is quite an accomplishment.  The door is wide open past me at the other end of the barn, but Gus is never one to pass on his grain.  Youngsters!  Always hungry!

Bear then shuffles into where Gus initially stood.  I deliver the delectable goodies of grain and supplements to Bear as if I'm presenting him with a special gift.   Bear eats slowly, dropping grain, although his teeth are checked regularly.  Only when Bear has picked up what he's dropped and slurped up anything left in his bucket, do I let Gus back in.  In the meantime, Gus has finished his grain and stands watching Bear, looking forward to getting any grain that Bear has left behind (probably why Gus is a bit plump).

While they eat, I change their water.  Usually changed and refilled once a day, the task is stepped up to twice a day when it's warm.  We've recently had temperatures in the upper 90's.  We don't have many days that are this warm and the Belgians are miserable.  I enjoy refilling their stock tank and seeing it replaced with clean, clear water as much as they do swishing their noses in it after I'm finished.

When temperatures are this warm, we halter the Belgians and bring them out to the hitching post to hose them down after they've finished their grain.  They stand quietly, enjoying the spray of the cold water.  I see how much they love being cooled down so I also spray our dog, Hank, who being a Lab, loves water.  Then I usually spray myself, knowing that in the heat, I'll dry before I get back to the house.  All of us are revived and cool.

As my husband puts out the hay, teasing me for being wet, I pull the wheel barrow around and pick up any 'deposits' in the paddock.  Belgians leave large 'deposits'.

Summer chores are easier then winter chores.  Sometimes my husband and I sit outside in the shade of the barn after we finish our summer chores.  The breeze that blows across us and is pleasant. 

We look at our gorgeous views of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountain Range and discuss the day's events.  As with winter chores, work conversation stays at the barn and home conversation comes back inside the house. 

When it's finally time to leave the barn, it's not uncommon for us to walk back to the house holding hands, awed by the beauty that surrounds us.  We tell each other to pinch ourselves, is it really US who live here???!  The beauty and magic of our home and the life it brings are a dream come true for both of us. 

A sense of serenity carries us through the rest of the evening and into the next day, until once again, it's time for summer's evening chores.