Around The Farm In August

August was a busy month. It began with drought conditions, but then the rains came. The morning skies were beautiful:

Touches of pink across the southeastern sky as the sun rose above the trees in the east:

I feed some grain to the horses and cattle in the morning, then I let the hens out to spend their day pecking and scratching:

They clearly enjoy their life:

The family across the street hosted a big neighborhood pig roast. I was the only one close enough to walk, which was handy because it got quite crowded. My house was also handy for the Amish family down the road, who tied their horse and buggy to the fence behind my house:

A local band, "North Country," played inside the barn because it was rainy:

I took this photo before many folks had arrived. Within an hour or so, the yard had filled to capacity with neighbors and more tents/tarps but I was too busy talking to take any more photos:

The kids had a bouncy house for fun:

The next morning, I arose and did the usual chores. The fantail pigeons were happy to get outdoors:

The day after the pig roast was the church picnic, held on an island in the St. Lawrence River. It would difficult to find a more scenic spot:

The best eatin' anywhere is at church dinners, and this picnic was no exception. I had a busy and well fed August, but I won't tell you how my weight fared for the month:

The Rose Mallows began to bloom about the middle of the month and they were spectacular:

Photo Album, Summertime On The Farm

Goldenrod, apparently multiple species, began blooming in mid-August and has been increasingly abundant ever since. Many uncut fields are, by now, looking all yellow:

The Tall Garden Phlox bloomed for about a month and then faded. I sat at the base of them one afternoon for a rest:

 The apples began to fall from the trees:

 The fantail pigeons enjoyed their freedom to come and go at will:

The family across the road threw a big pig roast, inviting everyone on our county road. There was a local country band:

 And all the neighbors brought beer and food to share:

 When my sister came to visit, she carried out apples for the cows:

I think she was disappointed that they wouldn't eat them out of her hand, but she got much closer than anyone else (other than me) has ever gotten:

One of the two plum trees I planted when I bought the farm produced plums this year. I found three small windfalls and ate them. They were delicious:

 I left the bigger plums to stay on the tree a while longer. I wanted them to become as sweet as possible:

New England Asters began blooming alongside many roads, a sure sign that autumn is here and winter is not far away:

My little bantam hens reduced their egg laying to almost nothing. Either that or they've got outdoor nests again which I haven't found. They enjoy full freedom every day during the summer: