WE ARE BLESSED

Last Sunday we had quite a scare at our old farmhouse ! I went away with my daughter Jodi. I started back our lane and my husband was coming out the lane. We each stopped. He says I smell something in the house , but everything seems okay . I come back the lane and go into the house. First thing I see is smoke in the kitchen and in the living room. I call my husband and tell him something is wrong the house is full of smoke. He says I will be right there.  I go outside and look at our chimney , thinking it is the flu and we have a flue fire . I see flames coming out of a metal grate beside the chimney . Oh my God, I think to myself our house is on fire.  One of my biggest fears ! We live in an old , about 200 years old , farmhouse.  It would go up in no time  ! My husband gets home and I tell him there are flames . He gets his portable radio for Walker Twp. Fire Co. and calls in the fire . He tells them it is a working structure fire at his residence. ( My husband has been a member of the Fire Co for almost 50 years ) . Most of the firemen know our address and as soon as they heard Jim on the radio , they were out their doors , before the tones even went off. My husband had run down to the  basement and saw the flames. He got the garden hose and put out the fire. The fire trucks came and all the firemen . They were wonderful .  We were so touched by all the firemen who showed up to help us  ! They are like a family to my husband and he was near tears , we both were !  I had called our daughters and they both came with some of the grandkids and my brother showed up also. The firemen cut the carpet in the living room to make sure the floor was okay . They were here about an hour . Some of the firemen tried to get Jim to sit down, but he wouldn't . All of us said , if this has been a weekday and Jim and I were at work, we would have lost everything  ! Our home , our belongings and things you could never replace. We are so lucky and so thankful God was watching over us on last Sunday , March  20th  ! We are Blessed !

Wow, I have not been on here for ages !! 2015 ??  I better do better !  It has been beautiful weather here in Central  PA . I even dug out my capris . It could stay like this , but I don't think we will be that lucky !

We are having a Birthday Party for my Dad tomorrow. Of course we have to have lots of food. And cake of course ! He will be 83 years old.  He had a stroke a couple of years ago , but is still doing pretty well.

Dad is the one clear on the left of the picture. This picture is from our 40th and Mom and Dad's  60th Wedding Anniversary Party back  a couple of years ago. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD !!!!!!!! 

Our littlest grandson was here yesterday . He was all excited that Papee was going to bale hay . The hay will only be used for bedding. We have had rain , rain, rain and more rain !!  This hay got rained on way too many times to be fed to our animals.  Papee got the baler and wagon all hooked up to the tractor and away they went. I walked up later to check on him. He was watching Papee bale the hay. I took my Kindle along and took some pictures of them . 

Some of the hay bales didn't make it on to the wagon. So our grandson was helping out. We got the hay baled and had about a load and a half. We took the wagons to the barn and decided to unload the hay then . And of course our grandson had to help . 

Here he is all ready to help unload. He was a big helper to Papee and me. He pushed the bales to the front of the wagons. Papee put them on the elevator and just tumbled them in to the hay mow. For as little as he is , he is a good little worker  !! 

Our oldest grandson  JP  just graduated from Bellefonte High School. We are so proud of him. He had some struggles , but he worked hard and made it  ! He is helping his Dad with his lawn care business right now. But he has plans to enlist in the Marines. We will worry about him , but will be so proud of what he is doing ! CONGRATULATIONS ....JP !! 

Papee's Helper

Our little Grandson loves being on the farm and helping his Papee. He was here  the other day and went to the barn to help. Papee had to feed the steers chop and hay . So Landon got to help and he was so excited. 

There is nothing better for kids than to be on a farm !  Playing outside  and enjoying that fresh country air  ! 

Grandson's Bestest Birthday !

Our little grandson just turned 5 this month and he was so excited to help out his Pap with hay. He got to help drag the hay bales out of the barn. Then he got to help load the hay on the truck. And also got to help deliver it to our Amish customer. Then he got back to the farm and got a tractor ride. He said it was the Bestest Birthday ! LOL ! 

He just loves being here on the farm . He always wants to know where Pap is and what he is doing !  He will look out at the shed and see what piece of equipment is missing . He will say ... I see the baler isn't in the shed ....where is Pap ?  Then we will walk up to the field and see what Pap is doing. And of course get a tractor ride ! 

Hay , Hay and More Hay

Our old barn is filling up with lots of hay , some for us to feed to our steers and some to sell  . We have probably unloaded at least 30  +  loads of hay . My husband and our one neighbor, who is in his 70's usually do the baling . Then they bring the big wagons down to the barn . When they are all done we start unloading. So far just my husband , our neighbor and myself are doing the unloading. We did have some help from the family the week of the big Anniversary Party. We make sure we have plenty of water to drink. Especially on those hot and humid days. I DO NOT like unloading in that kind of weather. But when you have hay ...you unload it whatever the weather  !

Our one old wagon partly unloaded. I much prefer this wooden wagon to the HUGE , metal red one we have . That red wagon hold way too may bales  ! LOL  !

Tomorrow we have hay to bale and unload again. There could be 3 or 4 loads. We only have 3 wagons. So they will bale the 3 loads and we will unload one . They will take the wagon back to the field and bale the last load. We may not get it all unloaded tomorrow. 

The hay mow filling up . I just realized I also got a picture of my husband's cup of soda . It is amazing how fast the hay mow fills up . I will take more pictures with each load we do.