Up to her eyeballs
Before the grass grows, again…
…..we feed hay to the cows and the yearling calves and the horses and the bulls and Daisy. These animals need sun-dried grass and alfalfa to survive until a proper ratio of moisture (snowmelt, rainstorms) and daylight and warmth (come on, sunshine!) compels green grass to emerge, once again, from once-frozen ground.
It’s a thrilling sight, to see blades of grass peeking through dirt. It’s taken me a few hard years in Wyoming and a soul-connection with a few beloved herbivores to truly appreciate the miracle.
Through the winter, and until the new growth is lush enough to sustain these animals, Mike and I feed one-and-a-half tons of hay every day. Sometimes we feed giant round bales that weigh 1000 pounds each. A special truck does the heavy lifting. Sometimes, we load small bales by hand. 3,000 pounds each day.
The second-best part of loading so much hay by hand is knowing that, because of our hard work and physical effort, the animals are happy and nourished, well-fed without ever having to experience the anxiety of foraging in winter. The best part is being able to beat exceedingly macho guys at arm wresting.
The Horses: Sunshine
Sunshine is Mr. Social. He’s the Paint horse on the right. He wants to know everybody. And to know him is to be loved by him.
Sunshine is what’s known as a “pasture pig” ~ he stands around and eats all day. He’s hard to ride for work because he doesn’t like breaking trail; he prefers to follow another horse and stick to a leisurely walking pace.
But Sunshine works in other ways. He brings light and love to those around him. He’s gentle. He’s happy. He loves getting attention and loves giving it. I’ve spent many an hour simply laying on his back, looking at the stars.
When I was riding Houdini regularly (pre-Ranger), I always brought Sunshine along on a lead because he would work himself into a lather if he was left behind (they are brothers, after all). When the three of us traveled the county road, we had to detour at every pasture along the way so that Sunshine could say hello (and sometimes even flirt) with each and every horse we passed.
He and the neighbor’s horse have had hilarious rituals across the fence, mirroring eachother, down to synchronized rolling. Give and take ~ it’s Sunshine’s way. But he’s never been afraid to be the first to give.
Takin’ pictures while I drive ~
This dish is simply delish
Perfect for a breezy, blue sky Spring day.
Spring in Wyoming: entire days spent outside in the sunshine, the first bluebirds zipping about… idyllic, really. It also means wild windstorms and April snow. The ground is white this morning, but earlier this week we enjoyed a string of perfect pastel days, and this is the perfect midday meal to enjoy on such a day.
And it’s so easy to make.
Prepare penne pasta.
My favorite gluten-free pasta is Tinkyada pasta.
Even the gluten eaters in my life like this pasta.
Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and a dollop of olive oil, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente.
Rough chop raw broccoli into small pieces. Don’t shy away from the stems, they are delicious, too. Simply peel off the outer layer with a knife or carrot peeler and chop into bits.
Into a lidded jar, put:
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 Tablespoons tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
2 teaspoons agave nectar
heaping 1/4 teaspoon ginger
dash cayenne pepper
Shake to thoroughly combine.
Taste, and adjust the ratios to your liking:
sesame oil = smooth
tamari = salty
agave = sweet
Put the broccoli in a bowl. Drain pasta and add to the bowl of broccoli. Stir to mix. The heat from the pasta will warm the broccoli but will not cook it. Pour on the dressing and toss again to coat everything. Sit in the sun, or in a sunny window, and eat!
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