To begin, I want to thank the Lord for finding us our much-needed hay supply for this winter for both our horses and goats. It has brought George and I a huge amount of relief. This year's late spring rains and now drought-like conditions have made hay and grass amounts drop 80% from last year! Last year, we had so much spring rain that the goat barn flooded and this year the rain barrel stands empty. This is the cycle of life in Wyoming or really anywhere.

On the homestead, we got our much-needed hay. Let me tell you how it all played out. For the past month, George and I have been hearing rumors that people were not getting the volume out of the fields that they were expecting. Also, with the way the grass has been in the pasture the animals are going through pastures and rotation paddocks faster than we predicted. George and I started putting out feelers for hay early. He called a couple large ranchers around us and they were also looking for hay. We were beginning to worry.

Thankfully, I started to talk to our alfalfa hay provider from over the mountain. They have a completely different climate over there and she irrigates everything. She had what we needed but we were unsure the total we would need to get from her. For the past four years we have been lucky and have gotten our hay from just down the road. But, with conditions the way they were, we were unsure of our numbers, this made the decision for total hay from over the mountain only a prediction. Everything was all hanging on a single piece of straw and we were hoping it wasn't going to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Then another straw was added that we didn't account for, the person who usually swaths and bales our neighbors hay, swather broke down and he had to hire someone else to cut the hay. Most hay contractors are paid in hay and I am sure with less coming out of the field this is important for some.

You guys probably don't know this but I was a hay contractor and had my own hay contracting business just out of high school. I swathed (I think that was my favorite part), bailed, stacked, and fixed equipment. I loved it but the long hours and noise was not conducive to raising babies. I've always had dreams of doing at least the swathing part again. There's nothing like being out in a humongous filled with only yourself and your swather going around and around. You start with a field of wavy grass or alfalfa and end with beautiful rows of piled hay as far as the eye can see! It is just beautiful and the smell of fresh-cut alfalfa is just intoxicating.

Let's get back to this week. So, because this additional contractor needed to be paid and there was also less hay that meant there wasn’t any leftover to sell to us. This helped us finalize our decision to get all of our hay from over the mountain. I am so thankful that I just happened to ask a friend for her number as a backup. The Lord has his plan and it is truly good!

In the garden, I harvested some of our broccoli, pruned tomatoes, and water pretty much every day. We had three days above 100 degrees last week. The tomatoes and peppers are loving the heat and growing like crazy. The peas on the other hand are done for the season. It’s time to start my fall garden planting. I did get a few beets and spinach sowed under the broccoli and cauliflower. Companion planting has been a game-changer for me the past couple of years. With the heat the weeds are starting to get the upper hand again, I have found myself out way past dark just trying to win the War!

In the kitchen, I got the broccoli in the freezer and did some great research on canning greens. I have lots of kale and I just found out I could also can broccoli leaves too. I can't wait to try it once my broccoli harvest is at an end!

Lord God, thank you for laying the plan that will bring us through this summer, through this winter, and beyond. I ask you Lord to continue to try to heal our country, heal those who harbor hate, heal those who are afraid, those who are fearful of what the future may bring. In your name I pray, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Pray, Just Plant!