Hayride Next Weekend
Yockey Farms will have another hayride this
next weekend. It seems as if the weather is on cue to have a good show of color
next weekend. Night time temperatures will push the color on, as the weather is
supposed to be good and may be our last chance to get out and view the fall
colors. I will keep giving hayrides as long as anyone wants them. Just planning
on having donuts and cider and if you’re interested in bringing something then
donuts and cider should be fine. We are not making anything off this and after
the interest we had at last party, we are just offering. Two people or twenty,
it doesn’t matter, and maybe I will come up with a ramp to access the
handicapped if they would like to come.
We will
have a bonfire and some benches but it may be in your best interest to bring
your own chairs if you plan to sit a spell. However long a spell is? If it gets to be too long we may use your car
as a target and have another of our favorite activities, a walnut chucking
contest, and if that doesn’t work will use you, yourself as a moving target. Well
it’s not that we are not friendly and sociable back up here in the holler, oh
heck yes it is we are, who am I kidding. It was a lot more fun when we had cows
and fresh cow patties, those things stain you know. But anyhow after your spell
is over we know how to get rid of you rest assured. Just don’t spell too long,
just saying.
The top of our
hill may not be the tallest around but it is located well and offers a
commanding view of the local landfills, or as we like to refer to them as Mt. Rubbish,
and Mt. Trashmore. Both are continually growing in our part of the county and
may soon be higher than the rest of the natural features or unnatural as it may
be. Actually our own hill is now 50 ft. lower or better due to past strip
mining activities, in which part we can credit the strip mining activities in
our area for the elimination of the forests to harvest the high sulfur coal
that was buried under our hills. This in part also helped increase the carbon
dioxide concentrations in our environment to help thaw out our glaciers, and create
acid rain to destroy forests in the upper northeast section of the US, and set
the planet earth into a tailspin due to greenhouse gasses. i have to
sarcastically add that now we no longer have the forests to block our view, but
instead our hills are now bald and we can see for miles instead of through
thick forest cover. The strip mines managed to do this and at the same time
make the farmer feel like he is getting a bargain as they sterilize our
environment and destroy in years what it took nature eons to create. There is a lot to see and not see at the same
time.
Most importantly
though is that we should be in the peak of leaf viewing times, and although
there has been considerable destruction of forests in our area, the view is incredible
from up there as you can see into two counties and for considerable distance. It
also now serves a dual purpose as I took Mom up there to view the July 4th
fireworks, and we could view 7 or 8 communities all having fireworks at the
same time. As well a neighbor had his own close by and was interesting to
watch. Mom in her lifetime was never able to see the fireworks as she did that
night. The main reason was that the trees were always there most of her life
and now the hills are now bald. I plan on planting trees but cannot get the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the coal company to release their bond
they have held in excess of the time limitations normally observed. I was warned to not do anything till this
happens as I can be sued to restore to the open barren field it is, even if I am
just planting trees lost. Sounds like a plan to me to help restore things doesn’t
it? I plan on planting hedge apple trees around the perimeter as well as crabapples
an maybe a few pines till I create a tree barrier of thorns and berry bushes
impenetrable by four wheelers and neighbors who have no business on our land.
Anyhow with some
vision, you can imagine that I have plans to change the views up there on the
hill in the future. You now have an idea of the past history to a degree, and
you will able to view the present, plus have a glimpse into the future of where
our farm will hopefully be going to, as I
try and put back in place what it took man seemingly no time to destroy. This is
one place in the Appalachian foothills of our region, and this exists on our neighbor’s
farms and throughout our region as we raped our hills to fuel our economy. Man took
it apart and turned it upside down, took what he wanted and smoothed over the
rest, but man can put it back together again and nature will heal this time ,
maybe.
Come and enjoy it
though as it is now and have a good day regardless of my views which will be limited
to the blog for now. I will try and bite tongue and enjoy also as it is a
glorious natural celebration of the year. I love autumn and the colors as nature
paints us a picture. Come as you will for a free hayride. I would say 12-6 PM, Oct. 11th., this Saturday
coming.
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