No More Denying--Fall Is Here

Hannah, Queen of the Hay

There are a few things that emphasize the fact that the season has changed from summer to fall. One is getting over to the Eastside of Oregon to bring home hay before the rain starts. Early this week the weather predictions stated that we could expect rain on Tuesday, continuing through the week. So on Monday morning, Mike hitched up our raft trailer to go over the mountains to get hay.

We've been going to the same farm between Sisters and Redmond for the last few years, so one call gave us the thumbs up for picking up a ton of good Eastside hay for Little Bit.

Mike was back home in the early afternoon, ready to hoist the bales into the barn loft. In years past, we would use a horse to pull the bales up (true horse power). But this year Rachel stepped up offering to do the pulling.

Here is where I have to add a note that one year ago Rach would not have had the stamina, strength or coordination to do this task. It was just a year ago that Rachel and her husband, Josh, along with Mike traveled to Chicago to try to get into a stem cell transplant study for Multiple Sclerosis patients being done there. After the rejection from Chicago, she eventually was accepted into the program being done in Seattle. 

Now, just 6 months after treatment, she is so much better, and the recovery will continue for the next 6 to 18 months. How fortunate that she was given this treatment and the outcome is simply hard to believe! Dare I use the word "miracle?"







With Mike in the loft stacking the hay bales, me on the trailer pushing the bales to Rachel, and Hannah cheering us on, we had the whole task done well before dinnertime.





The loveliest part to the day was getting the gorgeous vine maple leaves into a vase on the mantle. Mike never forgets to bring me some!