Susanna J. Sturgis   Martha's Vineyard writer and editor
writer editor born-again horse girl

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Hay Is for Hitchhikers

November 04, 2009

Arnie F. arrived with 80 bales of first-cut timothy at almost exactly 3:30, the appointed hour. John A. was riding shotgun. Arnie backed the truck up to the side of the barn, a tricky maneuver that involves passing between two fence posts (the rails had been removed for the occasion) at a somewhat oblique angle and with only a couple inches clearance on either side. Just like last time he got it in one. The three of us unloaded the hay in short order. Both sides of the loft, Breeze's and mine, are now ready for winter.

Turns out Arnie had picked John up hitchhiking. Even on Martha's Vineyard, it seems, you've got to be careful who you take rides with. On the other hand, if you climb into the cab of a truck driven by a known farmer and loaded with hay, you might be said to know what you might be getting into. With John helping out, I picked up more island lore than I would have otherwise. It does seem that everyone round about my age who grew up on Martha's Vineyard knows how to stack wood and hay. Hay I learned in high school, wood not till after I got here.

 

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