Waning days of autumn

Late autumn is the time of year when I scurrying around like a chipmunk preparing for winter. All those projects I planned to do all summer finally come under the gun as the temperature drops and daylight fades. Amidst all that chaos on the home front, I'm trying to keep Harley exercised so we can maintain some semblance of sanity on those cold windy rides.

A barn full of hay gives me the warm fuzzies. I now sleep better knowing the horses will have plenty of lovely alfalfa and timothy to keep their furnaces stoked on a winter night. The sweet aroma fills the loft and spare stalls.

It's time to clean the stall fans and put them into storage for the winter. Summer bug nets need washing and put in the tack trunk. I still have to fix a broken pane in Harley's stall window before the snow flies. Right now, the ventilation is fine, but once winter hits, I'm sure Harley would appreciate not having snow blowing in all night!

It's tough to get in an evening ride by mid-October.  When I drive up to the barn, I see horses, catching the sun's last rays at the hilltop. Autumn sunsets turn all our horses a fiery orange-red just before it sinks over the horizon. Suddenly, it's very dark and I'm now leaving the barn under starlight.

Harley and Rolex

Ruffy

The horses enjoy the last warm days, basking in the sun. Most of the flies are gone, yet the pesky deer ticks have reared their ugly heads again. Fall always seems to bring another bout, despite the cold nights. The turkeys need to get busy gobbling up the little suckers!

I've been following the plight of the remaining Suffolk Downs horses, hoping they all find good homes as the track closes. The folks at Canter New England have been updating the trainer listings as status' change. My bank balance prevented me from taking on any more, but I do what I can sharing them out on Facebook. Hopefully, readers and followers will pick up these horses, offering them new homes and new careers. My "wish list" is dwindling as some of my picks are sold, or move with their trainers to different tracks. As one person advised, don't ignore the "ugly ducklings". They may not be the prettiest, or fastest, but they have other qualities, maybe talents yet untapped.