Cedar Knoll Farm

Sleigh Ride

2012-01-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we finally had some accumulative snow. I had heard we had a little snow earlier in the week, however I had accompanied Terry to one of the big draft horse sales and missed the only snow to have fallen up till that point since that strange October blizzard. Temperatures rose enough the next day to melt most of it, and our barnyard looked like a chilly desert of frozen earth when we finally got home later in the week. Saturday's snowfall gave us something to work with, though. Sleigh rides ensued through the fields, blanketed in light, fluffy snow. Tomorrow promises to send temperatures up near 50, and heavy rains are forecasted to fall in eastern Connecticut. If you didn't get a sleigh ride today, you may need to wait for the next "snow event" to cover New England!

2011-12-21T22:22:00.001-05:00

A Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

to all our Friends and Family!

~ Elaine & Terry, Cedar Knoll Farm

For more information about our good friend and equine photographer, Tory MacDonald, or to order a copy of the above image "Sleigh Bells Ring", please visit her Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/tory.macdonald

Kicking off the Season Right

2011-11-22T09:16:00.001-05:00

Just a few pictures from one of this week's parades, a Baraat, and a light festival in Hartford. 'Tis the Season, AGAIN!

Sioux Country and Back Again

2011-11-15T21:26:00.001-05:00

Funny how life gets in the way of documenting Life. For example, it has been two weeks since Terry's trip to North Dakota, on his quest to bring back a small herd of PMU babies for Equine Angels Rescue and Ray of Light Farm. For those not familiar with the term, PMU's are the result of breeding "premarin mares" for their urine that is collected to make a drug for women in the menopausal stages of life. The babies, quite literally wild, are often adopted out for what is hoped to be a much more rewarding life than the dinner plate.

Good friend Joe was brave enough to take the five day trip into Sioux Country with my cowboy. Once there, they were greeted by a well seasoned rancher and his Sioux wife, who, it was learned, spoke very little English beyond, "Here! Cookies! You!" That is all Terry needed to hear for him to fall in love with her and her 90 year old smile.

The babies, on the other hand, greeted them with less enthusiasm. Eight were destined for Ray of Light, but were not yet chosen out of the larger herd. Terry had the dubious task of sizing them all up, and choosing what he thought looked like the best put together animals. Herding them into the trailer wasn't that big a problem, but weeding out the ones that would later stay in North Dakota, was. Wild and frightened, the herd huddled together in the trailer, backs to their wranglers, literally trying to climb the walls when anyone came near. The rancher asked Terry if he knew how to rope, and Terry said, "A little". He went and got Terry a lasso, but it wasn't the best — likely figuring a guy from out east wouldn't know the difference between a rope and a lariat. Terry tried using it and complained of its quality, so the rancher went and got him a better one. One by one the herd was culled (not always gracefully, I might add), provisions were added to the cargo, and Terry, Joe and the PMUs were on their way across country again.

Photos: At Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam, CT, the arrival of the PMUs each year is an exciting occasion. At Ray of Light the babies will be gentled and later adopted out.

November in Pennsylvania

2011-11-11T00:57:00.001-05:00

Terry teaching Jen how to drive a team of Percherons while raking corn shucks into windrows.

Jen's most important lesson was learning what "Whoa" means.

Five of Paul's 40 horses.

Horse power and fossil fuel power rule on this Menonite farm.
But mostly horse power.

On our way home, we witnessed a hot air balloon flying
over the Pennsylvania farmland.

We were in Pennsylvania for a few days this week, and took the opportunity to meet up with my cousin Pam, and her daughter, Jen from Virginia. Unlike most people, who plan a "vacation" around places to see and things to do that are usually found in a tourist guide, we took the two on a working adventure through Amish and Menonite farm land. By default, Jen learned a thing or two about farming with horses and what it would be like to live without TV, computers, and phones (OK, well, we weren't exactly without phones, but whatever).

The highlight for Jen was learning how to drive a team AND rake corn shucks into windrows for baling - all at the same time! Naturally, Jen would tell you that the REAL highlight of the week was shopping, and ordering heaping side dishes of bacon. But I regress.

Terry, Pam, Jen and I stayed with our friends, and spent our days and part of the evening hanging out with Paul. Paul and Terry, for those of you who may not know, are twin sons of different mothers. The only difference between the two is Terry's white cowboy hat and Paul's black Menonite hat. Still, they think the same, talk the same, laugh the same, and all too often smell the same. This is because of their constant handling of sweaty work horses and the occasional driver. "Driver" is the Amish/Menonite term for "buggy horse". Funny, but the word "team" is sometimes used to define a particularly quick moving, well conditioned family horse of racing lineage as well. It is why we use the phrase "Team Menonite" to describe the order of Menonite that does not use cars - not every Team Menonite drives a team of horses, but each one drives a Driver. A "car Menonite" drives, you guessed it, a "car".

While on the subject of Team Menonites, Drivers, and cars (notice I have spelled "car" with a lower case "c" as it does not hold the same importance as a Team or Driver does, unless someone else is driving it for them, of course) — both Jen and Pam learned that in Lancaster County, Team Menonites drive black buggies and the Amish drive grey buggies. For those of you not fortunate enough to live or work amongst them, there is no such thing as a "team" or "car" Amish - because if you are Amish and you haven't been shunned from the community, you only drive a Driver.

Which brings me to the subject of an honest day's work. While waiting for Pam and Paul to get back from a short business trip in Pam's car (since it was faster than hooking up Paul's Driver), Terry commandeered the hay rake and a team (lower case - here it literally means more than one horse) and made Jennifer WORK. He stood with her on the forecart and taught her to drive the Percherons around in a giant square, then finally jumped off and said, "go to it!" Before Paul and Pam had a chance to get back from their galavanting in the car, the rows were raked and the hired baler (not horse drawn, sorry...) was already scarfing up the shucks and turning them into hard packed, huge bales. These bales were later picked up by Paul's son Wes with the skid steer. Wes, incidentally, is Jen's age and already knows more about working hard then Jen may ever know in her entire life time. Paul drove a new team on a hay wagon to carry the load back to the barn, where it will be used as bedding.

We did a whole lot of other stuff, like went to the auction, searched for a load of hay, shopped and ate. I tried to get Jen to go from the sale barn to the house in Wes's spring wagon, but she was too shy and didn't experience the unique excitement of driving a Driver of Standardbred/Dutch Harness lineage. I suppose she will have to settle for bragging rights with a team of Percherons.

Sometimes, Two Horses Just Ain't Enough

2011-11-05T20:54:00.000-04:00

Terry with four of our horses today: Danny, Dakota, Cody & Sam.

Cold Climate Baraat

2011-10-31T14:19:00.000-04:00

This freak snow storm has created a big mess here in Connecticut, nearly as bad as Hurricane Irene did. The utility companies say over 800,000 are without power. Luckily for us, UNLIKE with Hurricane Irene, our corner of the state wasn't hit as badly, and we never lost electricity.

Sunday we went to do a Baraat in Plainville, and found the highways to be a gauntlet of obstacles to get past. The wedding venue was up and running — with generators. If it wasn't for his red and gold costume, Gillette would have blended right in with the landscape. All went well, however. It's hard to put a damper on such a special celebration, even when all the guests are accustomed to the heat of India!

Photos: Top: Gillette and Terry in front of a snow pile in the parking lot. Bottom: Statues and candles greet guests in the grand entrance way.

Christmas...um, Halloween...in Connecticut!

2011-10-29T19:48:00.000-04:00

Two days until that fabled holiday know as All Hallows Eve, and the State of Connecticut is feeling not the wrath of wicked ghosts and goblins, but of Mother Nature! A nor'easter is blowing through, bringing with it wet snow and power outages. Obviously, we haven't lost power — yet. The horses are all snug in the barn, the dogs are laying with us by the fire, and home-made chicken soup is bubbling on the stove. We are once again feeling pretty darned lucky to be living this good life!

Snow in October!

2011-10-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

It's October 28th, Halloween is just around the corner, and our little corner of Connecticut looks like...Christmas??? That's right, it snowed here last night! We are looking forward to a nor'easter on Saturday, too, with the possibility of up to SIX INCHES of snow in the northwest hills. Wow. Can you say "sleigh rides", anyone?

Jessie Gets a Driving Lesson

2011-10-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

The babies are coming up on high yearlings soon, and we are starting to involve ourselves in more intense training with them. Yesterday we put Jessie and Gillette together, to let Gillette drag her around a bit and teach her what it meant to "walk on", "whoa", "come gee", etc. Of course, Gillette was feeling particularly grumpy and so did not take too kindly to Jessie. He dragged her about the barnyard, chomping at the bit and pinning back his ears, as if to say, "damn fool kid, youth is wasted on the young". Poor Gillette. Truth is, Jessie did better for her first time "driving" then Gillette did as a seasoned old man. Well, we still love the ol' grump anyway.

Photos: Although I have them improperly sequenced here, the pictures from bottom to top shows you how the training advances: Jessie being harnessed and paired with Gillette at the hitching rail. We have already gone through the process of acclimating her to harness, blinders and snaffle bit, so that is of little concern to her. We start off with three people - a driver, and a handler to each horse. Once the filly is accustomed to keeping up with Gillette, the handlers back away and the driver keeps them walking in circles and figure eights. Gillette, of course, says he would rather be hang gliding than trying to teach THAT kid the ropes. Grump.

Rockwell's Annual Breakfast Ride

2011-10-24T08:09:00.001-04:00

For a few years now, our good friends Diane & Jim Rockwell have organized a most enjoyable "Breakfast Wagon Train". This year, ten teams and numerous outriders took to the streets (most of which are dirt roads through state forest) for a 10 mile drive through Hope Valley, RI. Before the ride, we all partake in some of the most scrumptious food you can imagine at the Rockwell's farm, only to return hours later to a pot-luck dinner. As can be imagined, this wagon train makes quite the spectacle in Hope Valley's neighborhoods. And as can be imagined, it is a grand time!

Autumn Under Way

2011-10-19T15:07:00.001-04:00

Haven't had much chance to write anything here. We are in the midst of our busiest seasons (Autumn through winter Holidays) and things won't slow down now till after the New Year. Orchard rides, weddings, fall festivals, you name it. Soon the holiday strolls, light parades, and merchant festivals will start. Horse logging starts in a couple of weeks, too, and there a few fields to plow under. So don't get discouraged and think we have dropped off the planet or anything. We are just doing what we do best - living the draft horse way!

Photo: A recent wedding in Pomfret, with Danny & Dakota on the surrey-top wagonette.

Grey Day in Autumn

2011-10-12T11:43:00.000-04:00

The day started off sunny and bright, but the clouds have rolled in and our bones say rain is coming. We took Diesel, Gillette and Dolly down to the back pasture and put the two fillies in an electric fenced paddock for the first time. A zap to two curious muzzles taught them that the single white rope means too much of a tingle to bother with it. Yesterday, the girls had an exercise in being loaded into the horse trailer and going on a "trip" - to Walmart, to be exact. They will be going through more and more training from the ground to prepare them for more intensive training in early spring.

Our newest addition, Trigger, is becoming acquainted with Buttercup. Trigger will be going into training over the next few weeks, in harness. He is already a superlative riding pony.

The landscape around here is changing, and no matter how much we are in denial of it, winter is on its way. Blame it on Hurricane Irene, but the leaves in our pretty neck of New England woods aren't particularly spectacular this year. My pond garden is dying back in some areas, blooming in others. The goldfish are quite visible and the frogs still hang out. For now.

The carriage rides, weddings, and orchard hay rides are coming at us fast and furious. Winter contracts are coming in like a fast moving snow storm. This is all good, and every able horse on this property is working like a busy bee to store away provisions for the winter. Of course, some of you less poetic readers can interpret that as doing their share to "put up hay and corn" along side us stewards. I love this time of year — when there is hardly a moment to sit idle, when the world shares its technicolor beauty, and the earth smells of the preparations for winter.

Photos: Top: Dolly, Diesel and Gillette sharing the back pasture.
Second: Jessie and Leila are learning to respect the electric fence.
Third: Trigger and Buttercup — looking forward to a fine pony pair!
Fourth: A view of the pond garden.
Last: Bumble bees are plentiful here at Cedar Knoll Farm.

We Have an App for That!

2011-10-09T07:56:00.003-04:00

Do you enjoy keeping up with Cedar Knoll Farm, here on our blog? Want to see what we have been doing, where we've been going? What we have for sale? Well, we now have an app for that! Simply copy/paste this url into the browser of your iPhone, Blackberry, Droid or other smartphone, download the app, and keep up! http://mippin.com/app/cedarknoll

RIP

2011-10-05T21:25:00.003-04:00

"Death is very likely the best invention of life. All pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

- Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

The Orchards

2011-10-04T15:35:00.003-04:00

Just a few pictures from the Orchard rides in Deep River and Glastonbury we do every weekend, including a couple of shots of some cute "hitch hikers"!

What's For Sale

2011-10-03T12:54:00.004-04:00

Come on over and see what we have for sale! Used harnesses, carts in all sizes and descriptions, wagons, and even horses! Visit our website's "For Sale" page and see what is here now, or give us a call if you are looking for something special! (Copy/paste this URL into your browser): www.cedarknoll.net/horsesforsale.html

Full Steam Ahead (into Fall)

2011-09-24T16:35:00.005-04:00

Last time I looked, it was still Summer. Warm temperatures and sunny days abounded. But suddenly, Fall is upon us and our schedule went from moderate to sometimes nearly impossible. We are now at TWO Scott's Orchards - our long-time favorite venue in Glastonbury (Woody's) and now in Deep River for the first season ever (Winston's, Woody's brother). We are loving it. Other long time contracts are being fulfilled and we are loving them, too, in both city settings and country, in state and out. And, of course, the weddings.

We have a new addition to the family, too. Skittles. Adopted from a state rescue, Skittles is a sweet natured appy pony, with the same reddish brown coloring as Buttercup, only with a splattering of spots. We are hoping they will make a good little pony pair! Until we can evaluate Skittles' abilities, he and Buttercup are getting to know each other, and getting along quite well!

Photos: Top: Danny & Dakota at Edgerton Park's "Sunday in the Park".

Second: Diesel and Lincoln are overshadowed by a ballerina on stilts at Edgerton Park.

Third: Chatham Square is hands down one of our most favorite venues!

Fourth: Our "new" Scott's Orchard, in Deep River: www.scottsfarms.com. Visit us at Scott's Orchard and Nursery in Glastonbury, too! www.scottsorchardandnursery.com

Bottom: Skittles (left) and Buttercup.

Hurricane Irene

2011-09-08T09:19:00.007-04:00

It has been a couple of weeks since we had opportunity to post anything to this blog. Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc here on the eastern seaboard, from South Carolina all the way to Maine. We had heavy rains and wind, which knocked down trees onto power lines and kept us in the dark for 6 days. Wouldn't you know, with two generators on standby, neither one worked when we needed them, and we waited five days for a borrowed one. Although we had water stockpiled in holding tanks, they only lasted us so long and we were going back and forth to the neighboring stable, who had a generator hooked up to a pump in their their farm pond, for water. Showers were taken at my parents' house a half hour from here. No lights, TV or internet meant going to bed early, and reading a good book during some quiet time. By the fifth day, that generator was a god-send to this little farm with its big horses - but still, we enjoyed some of the quietude the storm allowed us.

Photos: Top: During the height of the storm, the dogs wrestled each other on the couch, undoubtably grateful for being allowed to stay indoors and out of the rain.

Bottom: A large tree came dow from across the road, downing power lines a narowly missing our neighbor's house.

Jessie and Bullfrogs

2011-08-22T09:35:00.005-04:00

Things have been so busy here at Cedar Knoll that, as usual, I am apologizing for not blogging! Jessie as most of you know has been "off". Although her bout with colic has come and gone without too much fanfare, she wound up with a high temp just a day or two later, and we are still waiting to hear the results of blood tests. The vet has numerous suspicions (Lyme being one of them, naturally) and we are in the waiting game stage. Her temp has been normal, however, and her demeanor is good, as is her appetite. We put two loads of sand in the fillies' paddock, to help clean things up a bit (heavy rains haven't helped things around here, in terms of muddy conditions). Although sand in paddocks and stalls can pose a threat to sand colic, the fillies eat out of a hay manger so we think the benefit will outweigh the risk.

My pond garden is growing well, filling in nicely. Again, the rain. What might make a mess in one area of the farm is not only beneficial but mandatory to other areas! The goldfish (barely visible in the above picture) all come to the surface on cool days, and hide when it is warm. We have a whole colony of bull frogs, big enough to be bonafide princes in disguise, but they all jumped in the water as I snapped this shot. I need to sit in the garden not with my iPhone but a zoom lens to capture the wildlife around here!

What's New?

2011-08-08T17:46:00.004-04:00

There have been a few developments here at Cedar Knoll Farm, one of which is the acquisition of a phenomenal driving pony, whom we named Buttercup. Buttercup's role here at Cedar Knoll will become more apparent to you all as time goes on. Needless to say, we are excited to have him here and are enjoying him!

Another development has been the hatching of three adorable little ducklings, just this morning as a matter of fact. Two yellow and one brown, I believe the yellow shall grow up to be white and the brown will likely retain the feral look of his mama. No ugly ducklings here!

Less happy go-lucky news: I spent the day nursing what turned out to be impaction colic in one of our yearlings, Jessie. Lucky for us I caught it early, took her out of the paddock before she did any damage by aggressively rolling; walked her, bathed her, gave her banamine, called the vet. Friends Linda and Ed, always there when needed, hurried over with a concoction of epsom salts and Karo syrup, an old timer's recipe which acts as a laxative. By the time the vet got here, Jessie was relaxed, her gums were pink, and she handled herself like a lady. The vet did think it was best to check for impaction or a twist, and sure enough, found an impaction. A gallon of mineral oil was administered, and I spent the remainder of the day keeping watch. She nibbled hay, she has passed manure numerous times now (always a happy moment to the horseman who isn't sure if his horse's innards are working properly), and she seems to be well on her way to recovery.

Photos: Top: Terry takes my mother on a "pony ride" with Buttercup at Sunday's Cedar Knoll Party. We had 70 friends here for a BBQ!

Middle: Me and Buttercup.

Bottom: Three ducklings, none of which are in the least bit ugly.

Another Baraat

2011-07-25T08:50:00.007-04:00

Sunday night topped off an extremely busy four days for us here at Cedar Knoll Farm. This Pakistani Baraat ceremony took place at the Branford House, Avery Point in Groton. This Baraat was particularly high class - with over 400 guests in attendance, the bride and groom made a great effort to impress.

One of the elements of a high end Baraat, of course, is the white horse. Another element is the Dohl player (drummer). According to our Dohl player, Raj Patel from Mansfield, this reception had numerous Hookahs (smoking pipes) set up under the massive tent. He said that was very unusual and only reserved for the higher class weddings. ANOTHER traditional element that we, in particular, adore is the blessing of the Baraat horse money. All the women from the groom's side pass money over the groom's wedding frock, and hand it to the horseman. Just a fancy way for receiving a hefty tip!

Photos: Top: It is an honor to ride the grooms horse, as well as to protect the groom with the umbrella. Here a young relative rides with the groom.

Second: The Dohl player drums frantically in front of Gillette as the guests dance around the groom.

Third: Although most of the groom's people seemed very modern, many women at the wedding wore full veils over their faces.

Fourth: A family member passes money over the groom's frock to bless it for the horseman.

In the Heat of Summer

2011-07-23T23:16:00.004-04:00

We have had record heat (as so many across the country have also had), but that hasn't stopped us from having one of the busiest weeks of the season. Baraats, weddings, and photo shoots have kept us busy - and sweating! I have to say that the horses have been real troopers, and luckily for us, with the exception of one Baraat, all events have taken place later in the day when the temperatures have (ahem) cooled down a bit.

Horse Progress Days: Part I

2011-07-06T09:03:00.003-04:00

As many of you already know, Cedar Knoll participated in Horse Progress Days this year with Danny & Dakota. We had the dubious job of shuttling visitors (an estimated 16,000+ over the two days!) with nine other teams. Danny & Dakota got one heck of a work out, going from 7am to 6:30 pm (with the appropriate rest breaks, of course). This years HPD event was held in Kinzers, PA at Henry King's massive farm. For those of you who have no idea what Horse Progress Days is, it is an annual event, held in various Amish communities, that can best be described as an Amish trade show. The very latest horse drawn farming equipment is demonstrated for the masses, and approximately 250 vendors set up under the tents and sell their stuff, from equipment to harnesses, furniture to food. What a time!

Photos: Top: Danny & Dakota on our Pioneer Wagon, shuttling people. Cowboy outriders acted as crowd control, when the crowds bothered to be controlled!

Second: "Soda Mules" - a team of four mini mules, selling bottle water and soda.

Third: Horses demonstrating one of numerous treadmills. This particular treadmill operated a well pump - the one behind it powered a log splitter.

Fourth: A mule team of 12, on a four bottom plow.

Bottom: Danny & Dakota resting at the hitching rail, next to a mini Soda Pony and a larger driving pony.

Working in Pennsylvania: Thrashing

2011-07-05T07:52:00.006-04:00

Our journey to Horse Progress Days in Pennsylvania started early, sidelined at our friend Henry's farm to help him with an important summer chore. The family was gathered for thrashing - that is the process of cutting straw, putting it through a thrasher that both releases the speltz off the shaft (used as a grain for feeding the livestock) and bales straw. It is a hot, noisy, dusty, dirty job - one that requires co-operation from human laborers and animal workers alike.

Click on the title of this blog to see a video of this process on Youtube.

The best part of this chore is gathering under the shade trees afterwards, drinking mint iced tea and eating rich chocolate cake and ice cream. Listening to seasoned farmers tell their war stories with mules and work horses, watching the children gallop their ponies through the barnyard. It is a rich life.

Photos: Top: The eldest daughter stands by one of three mule teams, watching the straw come through the thrasher.

Second: Moving the straw along.

Third: One of the young sons bringing another load in on a flat wagon.

Four: Belts powered by the engine of a dozer run the thrasher. The mule team is pulled up right along side this horrendously noisy machine, and stand there while workers unload the straw.

Bottom: The three teams (five mules and a Perch cross) standing at the hitching rail after the job is done, glad to be resting, too.

Just a Few Pictures...

2011-06-27T08:30:00.006-04:00

Photos of some recent jobs and activities:

Top: Elaine driving Sam & Cody, a wedding out in the Hamptons of Long Island. The second photo shows us on one of FOUR ferries we needed to take in order to do this very posh wedding in front of over 450 invited guests.

Third photo shows the same team at a Quinceannera with the Cinderella Carriage, at the top of the hill at Walnut Hill Park in New Britain.

Fourth photo - Elaine & Diesel out front in a wagon train through Escoheag, Rhode Island. Diesel, as I have posted before, is now being driven single.

Pictures from Pennsylvania

2011-06-21T19:10:00.006-04:00

Sometimes, a person must throw down the responsibilities of the Daily Grind and report to the offices of Adventure and Discovery. Monday was such a day for not only me and Terry, but for my cousin Pam, who drove an entire day from Virginia to be with us for a few days, both here at the farm and on a quick trip to Pennsylvania.

A six hour drive in Pam's car (at 33 miles per gallon - pure bliss to our wallets) took us to Pennsylvania Monday, to fetch Pam a teacup (as in Chihuahua). Along the way cousin and I gabbed and giggled, Terry told stories of what to expect in Amishland, and the anticipation of meeting the soon-to-be-named "Boo" kept us preoccupied. Early morning landed us at our friends' farm, Menonites already out with team and cultivator. Pam got a quick lesson about both horses and machinery (top photo).

As a special treat, and since Paul needed to hit the horse auction, we took Pam to the New Holland Sales Barn. While there, she learned how to look for the right horse for a customer, learned to stay away from the hind ends of angry saddle horses, and discovered that Amishmen wear straw hats and Menonite men wear black. She also learned that there is a time to bid higher than you may want (but not by more than $50), and a time to just let the horse go to the next guy. Back in the parking lot, she found it amusing that Amish pick-up trucks could also be equipped with "caps" (second photo).

The day continued with numerous runs to various harness shops, again learning lessons about Amish and Menonite ways. One of our favorite tidbits to be taken home with us came from old man Weaver Aucker: "Horse sense is either born into ya, or it 's not. You just can't learn horse sense".

Since horse sense does not apply to Italians with growling stomaches, we took Pam to Shady Maple for lunch. A well known smorgasbord restaurant to both English and Amish, we ate like true Romans. We were so full afterwards that we welcomed a long drive with Paul to go fetch money on a horse he hadn't been paid for yet. Although we promised to back him up in true mafia style, his gentle Menonite sensibilities caused him to chicken out and let the bearded guy in the straw hat slide with a promise to send a check sometime soon. (Yeh, right - see ya next time, buster).

Then finally, in the late afternoon sunshine, Pam met her sweet little...BOO! I will post pictures of Boo and Pam in the next post to our blog, because he deserves his own portfolio of pictures!

Photos: Top: Pam with Jim & Jess, Paul's spotted team, on the cultivator.

Second: Amish pick up truck waits in the parking lot at the New Holland Sales Barn.

Third: Our teacup man's mules - harnessed and waiting for evening work.

Fourth: Just some old barn, with as much character as the people of Lancaster County.

Last: Outside the Shady Maple restaurant, goldfish in their fish pond surface to greet us. We are certain they must get the leftovers - never seen such giant koi!!!

Diesel - the Man is Back!

2011-06-13T22:57:00.004-04:00

Since we lost Duke on March 12th, Diesel, Duke's half brother and team mate, has been anything but himself. Once the King of Cedar Knoll, Diesel fell back in the herd's pecking order. Although always willing to work, and work hard, he has often been left behind as of late, without his famous half brother to complete the team.

We have, however, started to work him singly. Who would have ever known that the heroic, stoic, and feisty Diesel would make what amounts to a PERFECT single horse?! In the woods, in the field or trotting down the road on a cart, this horse by himself is every bit the horse he was when hooked beside his brother. Only, we still miss Duke.

Replanting Tobacco

2011-06-11T07:29:00.003-04:00

Last week, Terry helped Paul & Mary plant tobacco in Pennsylvania (see my earlier post). Unfortunately, with the extreme heat we had, that planting did not take and the delicate plants shriveled and died. This week, Terry went after another load of tobacco plants for them. The tender plants come in styrofoam packs, and are floated in pools of water until planting time. Planting, growing and harvesting tobacco is a very delicate process, and farmers depend on co-operative weather conditions to see their crops to a healthy fruition.

Wine and Weddings

2011-06-06T07:51:00.005-04:00

Winery tours, a wedding, a birthday party and country carriage rides filled this exquisite weekend in June! Each moment from sunrise to sunset was enjoyed in glorious sunshine and cool breezes. On Sunday night, the first round bales of the season were placed in the paddocks. As is evident by the picture of Danny and Dakota at their bale, our horses eat well!

Photos: Top: "To the Vineyard" - Saturday had us doing winery tours.

Second: The surrey-top wagonette was in use on Saturday for large groups to the winery.

Third: Saturday night's wedding was held at a local religious retreat. Sam and Cody joined us for a double shift that day!

Fourth: Sunday had us at a birthday party and doing country carriage rides from the farm. Here Danny & Dakota were placed on the white wedding carriage for a newly married couple's carriage ride through the country side.

Last: These round bales, at about 800lbs each, will feed each team for five or six days.

When in Rome...

2011-06-03T08:12:00.007-04:00

...do as the Roman's do! This is the motto that Terry lives by, pretty much on a weekly basis. Not a day goes by when in Pennsylvania that his bosom buddy, Paul, doesn't coral him into daily chores on the farm. The thing is, chores here consist not just of feeding livestock, or of moving horses to the sale barn or selling them to Amish half the state away; it is plowing, discing, harrowing, mowing, planting, baling, harvesting, putting up tobacco, baling tobacco, picking pumpkins, etc, etc. Earlier this week, he baled hay and planted tobacco. All, naturally, by horse power.

Photos: Top: Terry takes the reins and bales the alfalfa fields. The counter read 430 bales at the end of the day. Paul's sons Timmy and Wesley stack the bales on the hay wagon.

Middle: The tobacco "planters" separate the plants, place the plant in the mechanism at the center of the planter, and the mechanism plants the tobacco in the harrowed ground! The driver sits atop a water barrel which continuously waters the newly planted tobacco.

Bottom: Tobacco planting is a three person job.

The Voices of Horsemen

2011-05-27T06:41:00.005-04:00

My husband Terry usually lumps computers and "social networking" into the same pile that is, from time to time, spread on the fields by the manure spreader. His wife (me), on the other hand finds the computer and the internet in particular, to be a very useful art medium. Blogging is no different from sketchbook journaling, social networking is so much better than the telephone. Facebook has allowed me to meet so many fabulous characters from all over the world who have important stories to tell about their own horses. I have decided to share some of them here, and hope eventually to compile them into a book. The voices of horsemen, chapter one...

From Michigan horse farmer, Fred Brooks (the photo above is of Fred's grandfather and his team of Percheron mules, circa 1936)...

Cool this morning, but no frost. There was a freeze warning last

night, the cherry orchard folks were up most of the night getting heat

inductors and massive fans ready...but they didn't need them...though

we aren't quite out of the danger area just yet....

Since it has been so wet and cool I haven't gotten anything planted,

though I will travel over to see the Prince this afternoon to pick up

his middlebuster for planting potatoes. I also got seed from him, a

very thick skinned baker that he had no idea on variety...I'll try them.

Traveled to the Jordan River Valley last night, scene of my unproductive

youth, to East Jordan. I visited my Folks, and went over and talked to

Jack Wilson. Jack, if you remember is the guy who had the team harness

for sale. He didn't exactly jump into the car to go out to his son's place,

Neil's, who I grew up with...Jack had problems getting his shoes back on,

and since his last stroke talks to himself a bit.

Jack gew up out in the Valley....tough people out that way, though on

the very strange side. The ol' man had a first name that was

unpronounceable so he went by the name of "Spike."

Jack had a brother by the name of Glen, who I worked with, and went to

school with his boy, Steve, who is now dead, cancer killed him, though

he was left for dead several times; one of those times they found him

froze to the Peninsula Road north of town, nearly bled to death....he

took on the Wiser Brother's by himself, a story for another time.

Glen is still alive, and like his son is lucky to be left up

alive...he has a nasty scare across his throat...back in the 60's he

was working in the woods and fell over backwards with his finger still

on the throttle of the chainsaw, cutting his throat...guess Jack was

out there with him. Glen also owned a horse logging business for a

short while, after he retired from construction, went back to his

roots...Jack owned his own construction company....but he helped

Glen once and a while.

Anyway-I looked over the harness, I think it dates back to the logging

era, I mean the massive logging era...the traces attach to the hames

with eye bolts, I have never seen that before...but everything looked

solid enough to pull out firewood with...and for 60.00 it was a

steal...I told Jack that too. He just told me when he seen the

harness he thought of me and just wanted what he paid.

Another thing about Jack...I never heard him really tell a story...but

he loves listening to them...he has a very infectious laugh, one of

the nicest guys I knew growing up. He could also be a terror in the

bar room.

Another Installment of "Spring"

2011-05-26T07:04:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I posted pictures of some of the spring flowers popping up here at the farm. Now, we are moving into another phase - the Irises are blooming, the Hearts, both white and pink, are sprouting like poets, the Pansies are smiling, and the Lady Slippers are sneaking up through the fern in the woods. After all this rain, everything looks lush. I will enjoy the sweet Irises today...soon, Lilies and Roses will take over the garden!

Small Talk

2011-05-24T08:00:00.005-04:00

Once again, the Cinderella Carriage made an appearance in Hartford for a Quinceannera over the weekend.

Late in the evening on Sunday, we put a full sized work harness on Jessie as part of her training. The pony harnesses we have been using on the girls are just much too small now. The collar on Jessie is a 22" - not properly fitting but it doesn't need to be at this stage in the game. We are amazed at how big these girls are getting! Jessie just turned 1 - Leila will be a year on June 21. Soon we will "hook" them to Gillette and "ground drive" them around the barnyard.

Robin, 'O Robin

2011-05-23T13:23:00.004-04:00

Folklore has it that to kill a Robin or destroy her nest, bad luck will surely come to you. I wonder, then, if a nest is discovered, and left unscathed, will the opposite be true? Is not the discovery of those precious blue eggs a blessing in and of itself?

What are the chances of not only finding Robins' nests and eggs in two locations (our property in Colchester and here on the farm in Lisbon), but finding them both on the same day, just an hour or so apart? Is it an omen of good fortune? A divine symbol of spiritual mystery? Or can it be that Earth and her children, no matter what turmoil boils in lands far and near, quietly and consistently seek to replenish all things defined as Good? Selfishly, I hope and pray for the latter.

Happiness Is...

2011-05-20T23:44:00.004-04:00

...A Warm Puppy!

Meet Lucy, Terry's new pride and joy. He has been thinking long and hard since the loss of our beloved Blue Tick, Penny, about what kind of dog he would like this time. He had entertained the thought of an Aussie and a couple other, very loyal breeds he could take on road trips with him. In the end, however, the bay of the Coon Hound just runs too thick in this man's blood, and simply left him with little option.

Having learned of a coon hound breeder here in Connecticut quite by accident a few days ago, he made a call and secured a female. The odd thing is, however, that we traveled to the shoreline yesterday thinking we were getting a Red Bone - for whatever reason, Terry had it stuck in his head that the breeder had Red Bones. You can imagine our surprise and joy when we drove up to his house to see a yard full of tumbling blue and black puppies! The voice of their father, a handsome show and trial champion, sent chills up the spine! Our little Lucy already displays the good voice of a well bred Blue Tick, and we can not be happier.

In the car on the way home, I drove and Terry held the puppy in his arms. We reminisced about the day nine years ago (almost TO the day, as a matter of fact) that we brought Penny home. We named the new puppy Lucy in honor of Penny Lucia (Penny's middle name came from my mother's, the Italian version of Lucy), and it fits her beautifully. Of course, she is already her "daddy's" girl. She nestles in his arms and looks at him lovingly, licking his hands and face. The old saying goes that a dog knows a man's character better than the man does. Lucy, of course, already knows that her new man has coon hound blood in his veins, and feels right at home.

Ten Days...

2011-05-16T06:52:00.006-04:00

Here we go again. More than ten days have passed since I last made a blog entry, not for lack of anything to say, but from lack of time. As can be expected, the month of May is a crazy busy one: weddings, Quinceanneras, Sweet 16's, proms, regular contracts, winery tours. Plowing, harrowing, discing, planting. Logging. Buying and selling horses, general upkeep of our own —shoes, worming, spring grooming and clipping. Shopping for puppies, a new (used) car for my daughter, and hay and grain to fuel our increasingly active horses. And we are just half way through the month as of this writing...

Rides, weddings, Quinces and proms are in full swing again, and are joyous this time of year. The leaves are budding, the ornamental flower trees and fruit trees shower us with pink, white and lavender petals. It has been a banner year for pollen in the northeast, too, and light green faerie dust covers everything. The days are intermingled with brilliant sunshine and rainy skies. The rain doesn't hamper us much, though, and we welcome it as we watch our flower, vegetable and herb gardens grow. In between the tender plants and artful flowers spring rapidly growing weeds. The wild birds are gluttons at the numerous bird feeders in our yard, and frogs are once again occupying the fish pond. The pullets are getting big, and the ducks are laying eggs — one has been nesting for some time and I expect to see ducklings soon.

In just two weeks, we celebrate Memorial Day, then we celebrate the halfway mark through the year 2011. Where is Time going to?

Photos: Top: A recent wedding at St. Clement's Castle, Gillette & Diesel on the vis-a-vis.

Second: The Cinderella Carriage with Sam & Cody in Hartford for a recent Quinceannera.

Third: All the teams are being shod. Here Dolly is put in the stocks because the farrier says she habitually leans her massive body on him! Danny, however, has improved and no longer needs the stocks.

Fourth: New hay bales, weighing approximately 1400lbs a piece. The flakes equal an average square bale and one flake feeds a team at each feeding. Also put up this week was a load of first cut Alfalfa out of PA. Half a bale of that highly nutritional hay at each feeding is more than enough for each team!

Bottom: An Amish-made culter packer.

Dawn, Bright and Beautiful

2011-05-05T08:28:00.002-04:00

The view from the bedroom window this morning was bright and beautiful. Horses stood quietly, likely enjoying the sunshine after yesterday's rain. The trees are beginning to fill out again and it is a reminder that we have made it through a tough winter. From here on in, things will be brighter!

Gore Place

2011-05-02T22:23:00.004-04:00

Cedar Knoll Farm was in a lovely suburb of Boston on Saturday, at a museum and farm called "Gore Place". It was a "gentleman's farm" for the one-time governor of Massachusetts, Christopher Gore (1806). As part of their annual "Sheep Sheering" event, we participated by giving horse drawn wagon rides and plowing demonstrations. We are told that nearly ten thousand people were there that one day! The lines were tremendous, and it was one of the year's highlights for us, so far, as an enjoyable venue. We are looking forward to returning next year!

Photos: Top: Terry plowing with the new team, Sam and Cody.

Second: Waiting for the tractor to drop off visitors, Terry shared his knowledge of plowing with horses with folks from the city.

Third: Elaine driving Danny and Dakota on the pioneer wagon.

Fourth: Tools of the trade - a 1900 lb hydraulic plow, two types of wrenches and "harness tape" hang conveniently from a lever on the plow.

Bottom: Terry, on what he considers to be "the best seat in the house".

Part 2 of Spring Flowers

2011-04-26T10:43:00.003-04:00

Because Their Beauty is Fleeting...

2011-04-26T10:33:00.003-04:00

In the Garden

2011-04-25T07:36:00.004-04:00

Since we celebrated Easter on Saturday to accommodate the schedules of our (somewhat) adult children, Easter Sunday became a day of tremendous "rebirth" at the farm. Terry spent the entire day york raking the three paddocks, which required downing fences and putting them back up again. I spent a good portion of the day in the flower gardens, planting & pruning. The gold-fish pond, still in need of a good cleaning (it has rained numerous times since we pumped it, after all, and leaves blew in again), had me moving very heavy, flat rocks to build the waterfall. I am itching to get the pump working, and to fill it with orange, yellow, and silver beauties. The fence in this garden needed some repairs, and I spent the time to do this, too.

The animals, on the other hand, all had a very relaxing day. The horses had the day off, and stood chewing hay and shaking against May flies, as they watched Terry work in their paddocks. The peafowl and ducks somehow managed to get out of their protective condo into the wild blue yonder of the chicken run, and I'll be darned if we'll ever get them back to where they belong! Here's hoping they don't fly the chicken coop - they'll make a mess in the barn and gardens if they do!

Photos: Top: Getting the idea from a very creative friend (Gypsy Mare Studios), I searched my garden to see if there may be a fairy house hidden somewhere. One was found hidden under a bright orange bush, near the goldfish pond! Smoke from the chimney told me its inhabitants were very close by...

Second: Busy Bumble Bee

Third: The Mallard duck in the chicken run. His mate is sitting on eggs...will we have ducklings soon?

Fourth: A recently hatched bird egg, found in the pond garden.

Fifth: On a warm sunny day, Simba keeps me company while I work in the gardens. Because of his tiny size, however, he must remain protected from the numerous hawks that hunt our property.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T08:21:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter everyone! Although the day isn't dawning bright and beautiful here at Cedar Knoll Farm weather wise, it is warm and almost balmy. The view from the house out to the barn reveals horses in fog, muddy and dirty from yesterday's rain. Our son, Brandon, is home from the Big Apple, and sleeps soundly on the couch as I write this. Friday was Earth Day, Good Friday, and my birthday all rolled into one. I find it most appropriate that I share my birthday with Earth Day each year! Had the gift of family (Brandon included), a friend's delicious "funny bone" upside down cupcakes, and the beautiful gift of viewing "Water for Elephants" with Maegan and my family for my birthday. HIGHLY recommend this movie, which takes place during the depression and revolves around the circus and its magnificent animals, and equally magnificent human characters!

Have been working Diesel single this past week. I love this horse. I often wonder if he still misses his brother. I would venture to guess that he dreams of him in the night. The work does Diesel good. This is evident in his posture, in his eye, in his attitude as he stands for harnessing and as he goes down the street. The dynamics of the herd has changed. Diesel, Dolly & Gillette are separated from Danny & Dakota now, for safety sake. Dolly was once the low-man on the totem pole. Now she rules the roost, henpecking the two boys. She chases Diesel at feed time. Gillette chases her. Diesel chases Gillette. Around and around they go, looking for the herd's anchor that was once Duke.

Photo: Top: The view from our house this Easter morning.

Middle: The New Yorker sleeps through all kinds of noise and commotion, including the antics of a tiny Chihuahua.

Bottom: My birthday "Funny Bones" from my friend Erin's Chocolate Rose Bakery in Plainfield, CT.

When Blessings Are Counted

2011-04-20T08:15:00.004-04:00

Last night put everything into perspective for a lot of people in our Lisbon neighborhood. I was just finishing up feeding the horses at around 7PM, when I looked past them to the woods behind us and saw flames. A call to 911 as the sirens went off in town confirmed that it had already been reported, and I watched in horror as the flames completely engulfed our neighbor's log cabin abutting the back portion of our property. Terry, on his way back from Pennsylvania, was called and diverted through the back roads in order to get home, as Kimball Road was justifiably closed to traffic. He took the Occum exit instead of our own, and said he could see the flames from there. Another friend and horse farm in the neighborhood with fire ponds saw five tankers going back and forth all night to load on water, and a "pool" was set up in the middle of Kimball Road to usher water to the house at the end of the lane. I, personally, have never seen anything like it. At least five surrounding fire stations came to the rescue last night, and managed to contain this colossal fire to the house and not the neighboring homes or woods. The house was burned to the ground. Our neighbors, who were home as the fire started (it is currently presumed to have been started in their chimney) made it out physically unscathed, however. A BIG blessing in the face of such a big loss.

Photo: From the Norwich Bulletin - Click on the title of this blog to read the article in he April 20, 2011 edition of The Bulletin.

Spring on the Farm

2011-04-13T12:42:00.003-04:00

Winter snows are long gone and flowers are popping up all over the place here on our farm. Well established daffodils are opening bright and beautiful in our flower gardens, on the lawn, in the woods, and from under the wood pile. Johnny Jump-ups are sprouting up in unsuspecting places, too! Our ornamental gold-fish pond has been emptied and cleaned out, and we will be building a waterfall shortly to aerate it better this year. Our vegetable garden has been cleaned and prepped for May planting. Winery tours are picking up again - who wouldn't want to take a carriage ride to the winery and sit in the sun, sipping wine? Spring really does give us a sense of hope after a long hard winter. It always comes back to us, no matter what.

First Day of Plowing 2011

2011-04-07T17:35:00.004-04:00

The first day of April has come and gone and so has our first day of plowing. Plowing Ron Gluck's two acre garden in Hampton is our first plow job of the Spring each year here in Connecticut (Terry has already been plowing and disking fields in Pennsylvania).

With Duke gone, Diesel's new partner is Dolly. Although she had been on "maternity leave" for most of last year, Dolly stepped right into the work force again and made a strong work partner for Diesel. The new team, Sam & Cody, was also put to the test for the first time since we brought them home, and they passed it with flying colors. They have certainly been eager and able to pull the hydraulic plow as if they hadn't had the "easy life" at a riding stable for the past few years. With us, these horses will work, but it it obvious that they will fall right in to "The Draft Horse Way of Life" quite willingly.

Photos: Top: Terry gets off the plow to let Dolly and Diesel rest after a few passes in the lower garden. The soil in this area has not been turned over as often as the top garden acreage and was considerably tougher going on horses, man and plow.

Bottom: Cedar Knoll's new team of Percherons, Cody & Sam, took to the hydraulic plow like they've been at it for years. It is the mark of a good team that can be put to farm machinery, carriage, saddle, and machinery again as if one and all were the same. Cedar Knoll is proud to have this team as our newest addition to our "draft horse family".

Our New Facebook Page

2011-04-04T08:36:00.007-04:00

For those of you who follow my personal page on Facebook, or for those of you who would like to connect with us on Facebook, we now have a farm page! Be sure to "like" us there to keep up with the latest farm news, photos, and videos! Clicking on the title of this blog will bring you directly to our page, or copy/paste this url into your browser:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cedar-Knoll-Draft-Horses/120054141402917?sk=info

Hope to see you all there!

Recent Articles

2011-04-01T16:59:00.006-04:00

So much has occupied our time, our minds, and our hearts here at Cedar Knoll that I neglected to let you all know of some new articles I've written and had published lately. The one that is most near and dear to my heart just came out in the Draft Horse Journal (Spring 2011), and is called "Carriage Horse Controversy: A Modern Day Dilemma". In this article I look into what animal rights activists are trying to do the industry - that is, to put an end to it. Beautiful photographs of the horses illustrate the article and were taken by my son, Brandon. Follow this link to read the article: http://www.cedarknoll.net/DHJCarriage.pdf.

The second article appeared in the Spring 2011 edition of Farming Magazine, called "Spring Plowing in New England". It is an article about the annual "April Fool's Plow Event" held locally here in Connecticut, where many of us horse farmers help a gentleman plow his two acre garden with horses and oxen. The garden yields an abundance of food that he then offers to the needy in his community. You can learn more about this charming magazine, with a large following of Amish and Menonite readers, at www.farmingmagazine.net.

Photo: Top: One of Central Park's carriage horses, owned by Stephen Malone. Photo: Brandon Aviram

Crusade Against Equine Colic

2011-03-29T08:08:00.002-04:00

Just before Duke passed away, a website called "Crusade Against Equine Colic" published my story about him and our successful attempt at saving his life just four years ago. Read the story about Duke's intestinal by-pass surgery and his remarkable recovery! Click on the title of this blog to go directly to the story!

Of Mice and Men

2011-03-27T11:16:00.010-04:00

I look at my most recent post here, and I marvel at the fact that I last communicated with all of you on February 24th - more than a month ago. It is with good reason I suppose, that I have been so quiet. Naturally, we just find ourselves overly busy. Find ourselves with new developments needing to be contended with. And find ourselves mourning for losing what matters to us.

Yes, I said "mourning". For although it is a known fact that a farmer's life is full of hard work, trials and tribulations, it is also a fact that we are confronted with the Earth's cycle of seasons, death and rebirth, on a very regular basis. Our little farm in the "quiet corner" of Connecticut, however, seems to have been hit hard lately. No matter how "natural" it is to lose the life of an animal on the farm, it doesn't make it any easier for us.

Two weeks ago, while preparing for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford, we lost Duke. For want of Duke, we have also lost our best (and most famous) team, Duke & Diesel. Coming out at 5:00 AM to feed and harness horses, Duke was standing in the paddock, looking out at me, that forelock over his big brown eyes, that perpetual expression of playfulness on his face. I went into the barn to feed the parade team and throw down hay for the others outside, and when I came back out, Duke was flat out, Danny & Dakota pawing over him and nipping at him to get up again. Fearing the worst, I ran to him - I knew it wasn't colic. He was rolling his lip in pain, shaking with his legs stiff and unbendable, unable to raise his head or sit up. Terry was called out in Ohio, then friends Linda and Ed, then the vet (all within minutes of each other). Linda and Ed raced to my side, and the vet was there shortly after. The prognosis? A broken forearm. We now theorize that he was kicked by either Danny or Dakota, particularly gruff pasture-mates. Amongst much sobbing and wailing, with Terry racing home from Ohio and me with Duke's head in my arms, the vet put him down. And in the words of the very wise and wonderful Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that".

Flash forward two weeks almost to the hour, and our beloved nine year old coon hound, Penny, was also put down. Unlike Duke's sudden disappearance from our lives, Penny's passing was being anticipated for nearly two months now. A tumor on her gum line quickly grew into a festering, oozing, cantankerous mass that began to hinder her breathing . When the tumor began pushing through her upper palette, and the ooze became blood, we knew it was time to say good bye. For those of you who may wonder why we simply didn't have it removed when it was first discovered, it was because the surgeon's prognosis was that the cancer had spread to the nasal cavity, and likely to her lungs and liver. Because the surgery would set us back by $3000.00 or more, and she would very likely have to go through chemo therapy as well, we decided it was not the responsible alternative to just letting her live with us as long, and as happily, as possible under the circumstances. Terry, too upset at having lost Duke and now "his" dog, Penny, said his tearful goodbye and he reluctantly allowed me to take her to the vet. I brought her home in a box, and we buried her together.

So, why title this particular blog entry Of Mice and Men? Watching Terry as he wiped his tears with Penny's pendulous ears, her tail wagging and a look in her eye that said, "no matter what, I love you", immediately took me back to a passage in John Steinbeck's novel. How can we not acknowledge the regret of the aging ranch hand for relinquishing his old dog to another, to be "put out of his misery", instead of lovingly doing it himself? How can we not understand the heartache of both doing the deed, and relinquishing the responsibility of it to a stranger? We make choices in life, to love, to nourish, and to do the right thing, no matter how hard the "right thing" may be on us. I can only hope this isn't a "foreshadowing" of things to come for us at Cedar Knoll Farm, as this passage foreshadowed other events in Steinbeck's novel. I hope instead that it is just a poetic parallel to art imitating life, and vice-versa.

Photos: Top: Penny

Bottom: Duke (left) and Diesel

All in a Day's Work

2011-02-24T08:38:00.006-05:00

The latest trip to Pennsylvania had Terry delivering nearly two dozen drafts to the sale barn and more to Amish farmers. It also had him delivering another agricultural product — tobacco. It is the same tobacco he helped plow and harrow fields for, plant, harvest, put up, and bale (all with horse-power or by hand) this past season.

As for sleigh ride conditions - ouch. Not as good as you think. Our own fields are at this very moment still decent enough, but our attempt to do sleigh rides at a party this past weekend failed miserably. In spots, the snow was so deep as to cause our struggling team (the massive Danny & Dakota) to bend the pole. Being a metal pole, it did not break and was easily straightened afterwards. Had we opted to use our antique sleigh with wooden pole and eveners, the result surely would have been a "sleigh-stranding" deep in the woods of Lebanon!

Photos: Top: 700lb bales of tobacco headed to the buyer.

Middle: Sleigh driving - one part joy, two parts luck. Our metal pole is bent as our horses attempt to turn around in what turned out to be a deep snow drift.

Bottom: Although plowed areas are bare of snow, the fields and trails have areas that are still nearly three feet deep.

Valentine's Day Sleigh Ride

2011-02-15T08:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and we filled it with rides in our heart red sleigh! Danny & Dakota took to the snow with high stepping glee. The temperature was in the 50's - snow is gone from the driveway but still ample in the fields, and still too high in the woods to make a safe passage without rolling it first! Hard to believe. This has been quite the year for sleighing!

Click on the title of this blog to visit our Connecticut Sleigh Rides webpage for more sleigh ride information!

Winter Fest and Valentine's

2011-02-14T09:25:00.003-05:00

Valentine's weekend. A Winter Fest in Mansfield on Saturday and one of our favorite, regular venues in Old Saybrook at the Inn on Sunday. In spite of the weatherman's promise for warm weather, it remained chilly both days, with winds to set your teeth chattering! All in all, however, we are not complaining. (Click on the tile of this blog to see us on a video on Patch.com in Mansfield!)

Photos: Top: Elaine with Danny and Dakota at the Saybrook Point Inn.

Bottom: Friend Dale Naegeli stopped by to visit us in Mansfield, and took the team for a few trips around.

Princess Birthday Party

2011-02-12T07:29:00.003-05:00

There is one thing we Italians, followed closely by the Greeks, love in life: good food, good wine, and family. Not always followed in that order, of course (ahem). So given that fact, what better way to celebrate your daughter's very first birthday than to hold a bash as big and opulent as most weddings? Our Cinderella Carriage was at such a party last night, bedecked and bejeweled, for one lucky little Princess.

Scenes from an Orchard Sleigh Ride

2011-02-07T08:51:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful day yesterday was! Aside from the fact that it was my son's 22nd birthday, the sun was shining and the temperature reached into the 40's. A new venue for us, Horse Listener's orchard, hired us for sleigh rides for a winter festival they put on for the town of Ashford. We look forward to working with them later in the year for orchard wagon rides!

2011-02-06T07:21:00.008-05:00

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

After Ella, Ice Everywhere

2011-02-04T17:02:00.004-05:00

Here we are two days after Ella left her mark on the state (and on at least 9 other states, so I hear). Two days of snow, rain and sleet left us with quite a mess, on top of the three feet of snow already covering the ground. Our electric fence is literally buried in spots, but that hasn't done anything to short it out — it will still knock you on the ground! The only trouble is, it barely stands above our horses' knees. They are ever respectful of it, however, and leap and turn in the air before they reach the fence line.

These photos were taken yesterday morning, after the horses had been let out for the first time in days. Naturally, the camera wasn't in hand when they were first all released into the paddock. Had I had the camera at that moment, you would be seeing pictures of all seven galloping full tilt, sparring with one another, and rolling in multiple spots, as if to shake the winter blues from their manes. I tell you, it worked!

Photos: Duke & Diesel inspect the empty water trough, and wait for the hose to be turned on. After running and bucking and rolling in the snow, they all calmed right down and went to work on the round bale we put out for them.

Dive into Driving

2011-02-02T21:11:00.005-05:00

This issue of the Horseman's Yankee Pedlar not only has my monthly driving column, Driving Heads Up, but a feature article I wrote titled Dive into Driving, a "how-to & why-to" for getting involved in driving clubs throughout the North East. Click on the title of this blog to go directly to the article on-line! Or, be sure to subscribe to the Pedlar for your reading enjoyment, 12 times a year!

If you go to the Pedlar's home page www.pedlar.com, you will see a box on the left hand side that lists the top five most popular articles. Did you know, two of the five, Hitch Horses: Impressing the Generations, and The Art of Sleighing, are both articles written by me, Elaine Joseph? It feels good to know, years later, that not one but TWO of my articles remain in the top five most popular HYP articles!!! Testimony to the power of the carriage horse!

Sweet 16

2011-01-30T08:48:00.003-05:00

Last night we were in Norwich at a lovely girl's Sweet 16 party. Duke & Diesel on the Cinderella Carriage, decorated to a cool blue winter's theme. The birthday girl looked beautiful, dressed like Cinderella in a lovely blue gown and fur wrap, with Prince Charming to escort her. We love these jobs!

Pros & Cons of a Snowy Winter

2011-01-29T07:41:00.002-05:00

I know I seem to be harping quite a bit about the snowfall we have had so far this winter. Who can help it? What does it mean for a farmer when there is 60" of snow to contend with? What it means is that we literally have mountains of piled snow, snow that needed to be bucketed out of the barnyard in order to move trucks and trailers, tractors and teams. We almost lost a 1200 lb bale of hay the other day because the tractor got stuck in the snow. Ice forms, and grows, daily from the eves of the house. My front door will not be accessible until Easter, I am sure, because the ice is so thick on the steps. On the other hand, our fire burns hot in our wood stove, and the dogs lay content all day. For the little pleasures winter affords us, we are grateful.

Photos: Top: Putting out a round bale, no easy task in this snow.

Second: A view of our humble house from the street.

Third: As the snow piles grow, so do the fillies. This is Leila, standing horse size already, at just 7 months old.

Bottom Photos: The dogs have it best. Penny & Simba stay by the fire all day.

Travels Through a Storm Called Denis

2011-01-26T22:30:00.005-05:00

Naturally, the weather turns bad and my husband Terry, says, "Let's hit the road." Against my good mother's wishes, who forbade us to leave our cozy farm house to fetch a snow blower for my father, we headed out just as the snow began to fall. And fall it did. Through it all we drove up to Plainfield to run an errand, then to Moosup for the snow blower. We made our way down to Ledyard on another mission, and drove over the river and through the woods to East Lyme to my parents' house. Spending some time to visit and have a bowl of soup, we watched the flakes grow larger and larger, until they looked like butterflies in the sky. Our last stop today before heading to Lisbon was the Colchester house. By the time we arrived home, easily four inches of fresh snow coated the driveway. The horses, standing eagerly by the gate with ice on their whiskers and a disgruntled look in their eyes were brought in one by one to sleep in a warm, dry barn for the night. Not even a storm called Denis would stop my truck driving man from getting 'r done today.

Photos: Top: The house I grew up in.

Second: Ducks in a field at a dairy farm in Ledyard.

Third: Morgan's Vineyard.

Fourth: Snow in the wilderness.

Bottom: Foxwoods.

More Sleighing

2011-01-22T14:41:00.003-05:00

Although the temperature was less than 20 degrees all day (only 5 degrees when we woke up this morning), our sleigh rides went on anyway. Here, a few photos, and a link to a youtube video (click on the title of this blog to see the video).

Got Snow? Take the Sleigh!

2011-01-20T08:07:00.003-05:00

Sleigh rides have been in order since the weekend after Benedict. Here are just a few pictures for you to enjoy!

Rain yesterday, but there wasn't much of an impact on the conditions, other than those icy spots. Our biggest concern over the next couple of days is the sever temperature change. 15 degrees for Sunday - that is just too dangerously low!

Photos: Duke & Diesel plow the fields, and plow the snow. What a team!

Bottom: Customers have been coming from all over...but our favorite couple? My parents!

Loving the Snow

2011-01-16T10:10:00.005-05:00

I love nothing more than to watch as our horses roll, run and frolic in the snow, especially when there is a LOT of it. Here our cross, Danny, is shown after rolling in the powdery stuff. Click on the title of this blog to see video!

Elaine's Recent Articles

2011-01-14T17:16:00.004-05:00

Two of Elaine's most recent articles about carriage driving may be seen in MA Horse Magazine. One is titled "Driving Ponies" and the other is Carriage Driving: Finding an Instructor. Click on the title of this blog to go to MA Horse Magazine's web page (www.mahorse.com), and click on the link at the bottom of the page to view an on-line version of the magazine. Enjoy!

Pictures from a Snow Day

2011-01-12T12:26:00.002-05:00

A Storm Called Benedict

2011-01-12T10:02:00.004-05:00

The second major snow storm of the year is upon us. It envelopes us not in a sublime quietude, but in a howl of wind and swirling snow. It is predicted that by this evening, "Benedict" will drop better than 18"-24" of snow on eastern Connecticut. I have yet to venture out to measure the mound on the bird bath - usually an accurate indicator.

Naturally, all our animals are snug in their stalls, or roosting in their coops or on the rafters of the barn. It is unlikely that any of the horses will be put out today. Later towards evening, when the storm finally passes, we will get the tractor out and plow the barnyard. I imagine tomorrow we will offer sleigh rides. But for today, we will enjoy the indoors, the roaring fire in the wood stove, and the comfort and company of our three dogs.

Photos: Top: Waking up to significant snowfall - our barn and truck and trailer.

2nd: The bird coop.

3rd: The market wagon and bird bath in the front yard, all but completely covered.

Bottom: Penny and the new puppy, Simba, enjoy the heat of the wood stove.

Simba

2011-01-10T12:36:00.005-05:00

The new puppy arrived on Saturday! Weighing just under a pound, I was shocked at how tiny he is! He is sweet and playful, and Penny & Moses don't know what to do with such a little guy. We are excited and happy to have him as part of our family. Although I first named him Linus (after the wise Peanuts character), my daughter Maegan protested enough to make me change it to Simba. To tell you the truth, it fits!

First Night Hartford

2011-01-01T06:12:00.004-05:00

Thousands of people came out to celebrate New Years Eve in Hartford yesterday. The carousel was open in Bushnell Park, and while some lined up to ride the painted ponies, just as many lined up to ride with us on our wagons. Still others took advantage of the ice rink at the south end by the Pump House Gallery. Bright sunny skies and warm temperatures kept us comfortable all afternoon, and brought people out in droves.

Does anyone else notice how both teams (Danny & Dakota and Duke & Diesel) are in perfect stride in these pictures? I once heard an old teamster say, "Any two horses can be a pair, but only a TEAM works TOGETHER!" How true that is.

Photos: Top: Approaching the arch at Bushnell Park on First Night.

Second: Two of Hartford's finest patrolling the park on horseback.

Third: Danny and Dakota on the Polish Wagonette.

Last: Duke and Diesel on the Pioneer Wagon.

Eeeeek! A Mouse!

2010-12-31T08:10:00.004-05:00

Although my husband would like the world to think that we are the only farm in America "sans meeses", we are not — especially now that our lovely Charlie and beloved Ledger are no longer on the prowl! Last night while preparing to dish out the dog food for Penny & Moses, Terry let out a bit of a man shriek when this little mouse crawled up his sleeve. Back into the dog food bag he went, and I managed to snap this picture of the little devil before Terry gently encourage him to make his great escape into the bushes outside. Happy New Year, everyone!

Last Call for Sleigh Rides!

2010-12-29T08:53:00.003-05:00

Well, the title to this blog is a bit misleading. Truth is, there is no last call, as the snow has been all but completely blown away by 50 mile an hour winds. Today (Wednesday) the wind has died down and we substituted wagon rides instead of sleigh rides - but yesterday we managed to sneak in four lucky couples before the ground became too bare for sleigh runners! Here's hoping that we get more snow this winter so we may take the sleighs out again!

Blizzard of 2010

2010-12-26T17:01:00.002-05:00

The first major snow storm of the season is none other than a blizzard. Beginning early this afternoon here at the farm, the wind is now howling and the snow is flying sideways. Although the horses were all out earlier today, by late afternoon it became apparent that they needed to be put in the barn early for the night, where they will be safe from the wind, the cold, and the snow. Our carriage rides logically cancelled for this evening. Sleigh rides are being booked for Tuesday, as the snow is predicted to continue well into tomorrow afternoon, with a total of 18 inches possible here in New London County. Days like to day, I have no doubt that our horses are grateful for a cozy barn to stay warm, safe and dry in!

Merry Christmas to All!

2010-12-23T08:42:00.001-05:00

A Hole in My Heart Big as Montana

2010-12-16T21:50:00.004-05:00

Today has been a very, very dark day for us. Our puppy, Ledger, ran out into the road this morning and was killed in a "hit and run" - whoever did it, never stopped to take any sort of responsibility. Words can not express the deep sorrow I feel. Terry buried him in the frozen ground of the fish pond garden next to Charlay our cat (who ironically died under similar circumstances just a few weeks ago). My poor Ledger. I miss you so!

Photos: Top: When Ledger first came to us in January of this year - he and Charlay became best of friends.

Middle: Ledger and Moses, the best seat in the house.

Bottom: Ledger, just nine weeks old.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-12-10T09:08:00.004-05:00

Our new BFF Scot Haney from Channel 3 weather said yesterday morning that it was 12 degrees in Norwich. The day before, we blanketed Dolly, Danny & Dakota against the wind and frigid air (the greys have been blanketed for weeks already). Over the years, we have discovered that our horses prefer to be outdoors in the winter when the weather is clear - the cold doesn't seem to bother them at all. With round bales to feed on 24 hours a day, they eat constantly, which also keeps them warm.

This morning, less than 48 hours since the new blankets were put on the three musketeers, Danny's blanket is torn to shreds. This is Dakota's doing. He mouths everything like a puppy - always has. I imagine that blanket will come off this afternoon and I will attempt to do some sewing. Alas, with my sewing skills, I doubt it will do any good.

Taunton Parade and Filming in Hartford

2010-12-05T22:23:00.005-05:00

It has been another crazy, busy long weekend for us at Cedar Knoll Farm. The last three days have been spent in numerous locations with multiple teams - Holyoke MA, Deep River, Middletown, East Haddam, Bloomfield, Taunton MA and Hartford. Tomorrow will be a busy day as well, but at least it will be spent here in Lisbon, and the horses (not their keepers) will get some time off, if only for a few days.

Sunday, Lincoln and the sleigh were in Taunton for their big parade, and I have heard through the grape vine that we made an appearance on the local news in Massachusetts. We'll have to see if we make it into the papers, too. Our second gig with Linc & the sleigh was filming a Christmas special for television in Hartford - more details when that will air! It has been an exciting little project for us, and we look forward to sharing it with the rest of Connecticut! In the words of some famous TV personalities, "Stay Tuned!"

Photos: Top & middle: Lincoln takes Santa & Mrs. Claus through the streets of Taunton, MA, for their annual Christmas Parade. Bottom: Filming with Santa in Hartford

Diane Smith's "A Connecticut Christmas"

2010-11-30T16:24:00.004-05:00

Looking for a wonderful gift for the holiday season? Look no further than your local bookstore and consider Diane Smith's new book, "A Connecticut Christmas"! Read all about Connecticut's unique people, places and things that make the holidays a wondrous time in our state. Cedar Knoll Farm is featured on pages 78 and 79! Click on the title above to buy the book directly from the publisher!

A Few of Brandon's Macy's Photos...

2010-11-28T22:23:00.005-05:00

Cedar Knoll at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

2010-11-26T09:41:00.009-05:00

Well, what can we say but "What a great time we had!" Weeks of hard work, including designing horse costumes, negotiating helpers and their costumes, a trip to New Jersey to fit the pole to the float, getting the proper permits for the horses, and the 24 hours of preparation before we even left the barn early Thanksgiving morning all paid off on Thanksgiving Day!

It was astonishing to see how many people lined the streets to watch the Macy's Day Parade in person. I couldn't even begin to guess at how many people were there to watch, but needless to say each side of the street, from 77th Street on down to 34th along the route was literally wall to wall. Everyone was screaming "Melissa! Joan! Melissa! Joan!", as our float unit, The Snow Queen, had Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, and Melissa's young son, Cooper.

Although rain threatened, and in spite of the overcast skies, the weather cooperated. Our funny little costumes, blue overalls and fancy feathered hats, covered our many layers and none of us wranglers could complain of the cold at all. It was a different story for Melissa and Joan, however, who, in their own costumes and sitting quietly on Gillette and in the float, didn't move around much to keep warm. Melissa's son, a lovely young boy, chose Charlie, the biggest horse to ride, and had no issue with the chilly weather!

Our float was simply beautiful. Making it's debut this year by Macy's for Universal Studios, it was a mound of "snow" with an ornate sleigh on top, pulled by Duke & Diesel wearing silver sleigh bells and blue ostrich plumes.

We give our greatest thanks to our dearest friends and most trusted helpers that shared the day (and the hard work) with us for the parade: Sue & Karl Lado (wranglers on the float), Darlene Cunnane (wrangler and owner of Charlie, carrying Cooper), Darlene's daughter Nicole (crew), Wes & Linda Hopkins (who stayed with the truck), Linda & Ed Whitford, our barn crew while we were away during the day, and of course, my son Brandon Aviram, who mingled with the press and managed to stay with the parade for its entirety, taking what I imagine will be some extraordinary photos once he has them organized!

Photos: Top: The Snow Queen float

Second: Gillette & Charlie carrying Melissa Rivers and her son

Third: Blue and white everywhere... waiting to start the parade

Fourth: Brandon hanging with Gillette before the start of the parade

Bottom: Our parade wranglers: Darlene, Karl, Elaine, Sue and Terry

'Tis the Season (and All That Jazz)

2010-11-21T21:10:00.003-05:00

OK, I don't know how it happened, but I woke up this morning and, voila! Christmas was on the agenda. I know, I know, Walmart is still selling Halloween candy (at 90% off), and Thanksgiving is almost here but still not quite. Yet Santa made his debut in town today, along with Mrs. Claus and the Snow Baby, in the back of our red sleigh.

So, in protest against the early disappearance of late afternoon sun and balmy breezes, I decided to ride Gillette and let Terry take the sleigh. Yes, I put a hefty strand of deafening brass sleigh bells around his neck, but any responsible horse person can justify them as a deterrent to Autumn hunters. For the sake of being a good example to youngsters everywhere, I wore my riding helmet proudly. Those youngsters, of course, quickly looked past me and my pure white steed to that jolly man in the back of the sleigh, crying, "Santa Claus! Santa Claus! Look at me!" Such travesty. And as I smiled and waved from atop my tall horse I realized what a futile attempt I had made to keep Autumn and forego Winter, for in the end, it was the big man in the red suit that everyone was really there for.

Funeral for a Friend

2010-11-19T16:33:00.005-05:00

Duke and Diesel did the honors of a final farewell by horse and wagon for friend and fellow horseman, Charles "Al" Kingsley: b. Feb 5, 1931 - d. November 15, 2010. Burial with full military honors at Plains Cemetery in North Franklin, CT. We will remember you fondly, Al.

Late Autumn into Winter

2010-11-18T22:44:00.002-05:00

It was a day for birds. Breezy and cool, my chickens felt obliged to viciously scratch through the fallen leaves, while blackbirds screamed at us from high branches. Dolly and the grey horse from New York are getting to know each other, for as long as the grey stays with us. Dolly, liking her food all to herself, prefers the solitary life, and watches to be sure the grey doesn't take her fair share. When he does, she screams at him like the blackbirds in the trees, until he moves away again.

It's a Dog's Life

2010-11-16T07:33:00.005-05:00

Sometimes, it is the people and animals less celebrated publicly that bring us the most happiness. Sometimes, it is the quiet moments that give us a greater sense of contentment. Today, it is our dogs, laying quietly by our sides on a dark, rainy morning, that we would like to share with you.

Top: Ledger and Moses, cozy on the couch.

Bottom: Penny our Blue Tick with Terry, resting early this morning after a long night's sleep.

"A Connecticut Christmas" to Remember

2010-11-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

November 14 was "A Connecticut Christmas" to remember. Or, should I say, a day to remember because of A Connecticut Christmas! Diane Smith's new book hit the shelves with a book launching and signing at RJ Julia's Booksellers on Main Street in Madison last night. Because we are profiled in her newest edition about the many ways of celebrating our favorite holiday in Connecticut, we were present with Lincoln and the sleigh on wheels, helping to bring good cheer and customers into the store! Children rushed to Lincoln's side for a pat and a picture. Many a Christmas card was likely made that evening as well. How often do you see a horse and sleigh on Main Street anymore? Diane Smith signed unlimited copies of the book and droves of people went away smiling, with personalized copies — many of which, I am sure, will be tucked away until opened again on Christmas Day. OK, everyone, take a deep breath: 'tis the season already!

Photos: Top: The cover of the book (click on the title of this blog to order the book on-line from the publisher).

Middle: Janet Pecknpaugh, Diane Smith, and friend pose with Lincoln in front of the book store.

Bottom: It didn't feel like winter: unusually warm weather brought out the dragon flies for one last hurrah!

Leila and Jessie

2010-11-08T22:16:00.004-05:00

How impossible is it to take a picture of Leila and Jessie, both looking forward at the same time? Their stars are nearly identical but I never seem to be able to snap the picture fast enough before one of them moves. So like children! We are marveling at how big they are getting. And at how quiet the two are. They will make lovely team mates!

Photos: Top and 2nd: Catching Leila laying down in her stall, Terry decides he'll train her to ride.

Middle: Leila and Jessie don't stand still together long enough to get a "formal" picture of their two faces!

Bottom: As Tanto leaves to go to his new home, the fillies wish him a fond farewell.

Quality of Light and Life

2010-11-08T11:43:00.003-05:00

This morning, we awoke to the sound of sleet and the sight of snow on the ground. Shortly thereafter, the first accident of the season happened in front of our house when a rather substantial pick-up truck hit a utility pole, toppling it. Our little corner of the world is a magnet for a) speeders that don't know any better and b)accidents waiting to happen to speeders who don't know any better. Six hours later and there is a new utility pole standing, and someone's lovely black crew cab is in a diesel garage somehwere.

If we lived like our forefathers, without newscasters and weathermen, last night would not have given us any indication that we would awake to February weather. The sunset was beyond spectacular — the light quality on the receiving side of the woods took my breath away, and reminded me that it is a long time coming for grabbing the pastels or oils and doing some plein air painting. Phone calls, paperwork, barn chores, visitors, getting carriages ready for the holiday rides which, by the way, all start next weekend, and I find there is so little time to be doing what I was once known for — painting. Something has to give here. When the quality of light is so intense on our little farm, my spirit soars and I make quiet resolutions to myself. Here is hoping that by the New Year, the quality of light will give back some Quality of Life.

Photos:Top: My little jumping bean, Ledger, really knows how to express happiness: bounce!

Middle: The quality of light as the sun sets behind us can be nothing short of magnificent.

Bottom: Lincoln and team mates against the backdrop of a cool-weather sunset.

Tales of Topeka

2010-11-04T15:31:00.008-04:00

Terry got home this morning after a 16 hour drive from the Topeka sales. He and friend Roger took off together in the wee hours of Monday morning, driving straight through. The auction, according to Terry, was a "good time", with many fancy horses and quiet work teams, very large pulling teams, great bargains on some nice carriages and unbelievably high prices on the toys.

The first day was spent trying to buy carriages, only to decide that there simply wasn't room in Roger's trailer to bring back horses AND carriages. A commercial hearse came up on the block, and sold for a price too embarrassingly low to even mention here. Terry, almost throwing up his hand, decided at the last minute that he didn't want to have to come all the way back to Topeka to pick it up with the tractor trailer. Roger, on the other hand, found the horse of his dreams - made of wood! Into the trailer Woody went.

The next morning the pulling teams were pulled for all to see their abilities. Then into the ring they went for the auctioneer to rattle over. The very first pulling team, Belgians weighing in at better than 5700 lbs and standing nearly 20 HH (yes, I said TWENTY HANDS HIGH), heard the gavel slam down at $52,000.00 (yes, that's FIFTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS). Unreal. They were the top selling team all week.

Terry and Roger bid on incidentals and purchased sundries from the many vendors that set up shop at most horse auctions. Things like boxes of horse shoe nails, winter stable blankets, and other items that just can't be found at decent prices here in Connecticut were stored in the truck. Teams were bid on, and lost to the inability to justify their prices. Horses were looked at, and lost to ridiculously low prices because they didn't react fast enough. Amish were there, Menonites, wealthy show folks, common horse farmers. And kill buyers. Terry's at auction every other week, somewhere, and easily recognizes them. This time, it was the Japanese. Such a blister on the heart to think of the fate of some of the nicest looking horses there.

With the rocking horse and other items loaded into the trailer, Terry and Roger took off for Connecticut on Wednesday night. Driving straight through yet again, they arrived home this morning, exhausted, but happy to have spent "a good time" together.

Photos:Top: The line-up of Pulling Teams.

Second: Just the right size, and such an easy keeper, too: Woody, the wooden rocking horse.

Third: A nice looking Percheron stud.

Bottom: Some of the hand-made models went for two and three times what many REAL horses sold for.

A Halloween Wedding

2010-11-01T05:40:00.006-04:00

What else would you expect at a wedding held the day before Halloween, but a delightful couple with wonderfully eccentric tastes? Saturday's bride and groom, Karla & Frank, rode in a horse and carriage while their wedding party followed them to the reception in a HUMMER limo, easily 38 feet long or more. This limo, from a company in New York City, holds 24 passengers in it's opulent interior. As always, this wedding procession caused quite the stir with locals and passersby!

Photos: Top: The wedding ceremony took place at a church that looks like a castle. Middle: Our bride and groom looked gorgeous! Many of their guests did, too ~ some arrived in costume, including full Medieval body armor! Bottom: Duke and Diesel seem to be magnets for custom built HUMMERS!

Dolly's Back in Business!

2010-10-29T07:47:00.002-04:00

Well, poor Dolly, all good things must come to an end, including an extended maternity leave. Yesterday, Terry and I put Dolly in harness for the first time since last winter and gave her and Lincoln the dubious task of transferring carriages and wagons between the storage barn down the street and our farm. Aside from a little jog in her step now and then, and a continuous whinny to horses all the way up and down the street, she did well. Dolly girl, the busy season is upon us, and it's time for you to pull your share!

Nutmegger Notes & Other Accolades

2010-10-26T21:50:00.005-04:00

How nice it is to touch someone in such a way, that they actually BLOG about you! Or they send you wonderful, beautiful emails, thanking you for "allowing" them to experience the horses, up close and personal. I would just like to say "thank you" to all of YOU, who visit our farm, care about our horses, and take the time out of your busy schedules to contemplate our love for this unique lifestyle. We appreciate how much you care about who we are and what we do! And remember, you are always welcome here!

"Ok first of all thanks for leting me ride in the front of the carrage I rely like it. And a nother thing that I liked was those cookies I felt like I was in heven." - email from a young boy named Lincoln, received after our "Walktober" open house.

Click on the title of this blog to visit nutmeggernotes.blogspot.com

Walktober

2010-10-25T21:18:00.002-04:00

Sunday was "Walktober" here at Cedar Knoll, and we had many fine guests to share wagon rides, delicious food, and some good laughs with! Thank you to all who came!

Baraat

2010-10-23T21:31:00.003-04:00

This morning's wedding had us up well before the sun rose, but we were home in time for a late breakfast! One of our favorite wedding processions is the Baraat - with its wild drumming, dancing, and loud music. Gillette, as usual, did the honors. Where would we be without Gillette?

To see a video of this Baraat, click on the title of this blog above.

Silver Finds a New Home!

2010-10-23T05:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a windy, chilly day here at the farm. Peak color on the trees, surprisingly late this year. We spent nearly all day bringing up the fence from the back pasture to winter the horses closer to the barn. It will be far more convenient for watering and bringing them in once the weather turns brutal.

Another change made yesterday: our little rescue mini, Silver, has been adopted! We marvel at the change in this little man since we brought him in this summer. We never really did blog about him much, simply because we wanted to quietly find him the right home when the time was right. Terry brought him back from PA after seeing him being dragged in to the sale barn by a black cloaked man in a straw hat, skin and bones and scared to death. When he came here, you couldn't touch him without him flinching and cowering. Amazing what a lot of love, a lot of handling and good food and health care will do for a horse. He left here fat, happy, and much better adjusted to human touch. We wish our little Silver a happy, happy life at his new home!

Photos: Top: We knew by the way Silver responded to Mary the first time they met that she was to be his new adoptive mother. Second: Silver, in the rental van Mary brought to bring him home in. He has come such a long way since bringing him to Cedar Knoll, both emotionally and physically! Last two: Peak color at Cedar Knoll Farm on October 22, 2010