Lunar Eclipse and Lunch in the Shire

December 11, 2011

tags: lunar eclipse, rural living, Shire horses

The full lunar eclipse was a visual non-event at the farm, but the rest of the day was… stellar. I ambled out of bed at the appointed hour, went outside, gazed up and could see the full moon clear as day through a hole in the fog and clouds. But no eclipse. Houston, we have a problem.

I check my watch, and there is the problem. Still set for Central Time from the week’s travel. Back to bed, back up, look up, fog and clouds so dense Rudolph would turn back. Oh, well. The best was yet to come.

Laying the Lines of The Garden Center, August 2011

To tell you the rest of the story I have to go back in time. Back in August we were laying out The Garden Center with our excavator extraordinaire, Bob Long of JRJ Excavating of Newberg, OR. This was a momentous occasion for us, years in the making, a command from Spirit. That’s all of us in the photo, along with our general contractor, friend and superb craftsman David Liebelt of Traditional Woodworking of McMinnville, OR. Left to right are me, Sara, David and Bob.

Up the misty driveway comes our magical friend with a sparkle in her eye, Christina, with an armload of flowers for Sara. She knows it is the big day. Bob, Sara and Christina strike up a conversation, end up talking about, of course, draught horses. Bob’s dad had a farm with them, Christina said she wanted to do some small farming near here using draught horses and wants to learn about them, and Bob says he’s just done work for a woman, Susan, about 40 miles from here who’s bought draught horses and wants to teach women how to work ‘em. You know, just your run-of-mill conversation out standing in the field laying out a building called The Garden Center for Peace and Cooperation.

Long story cut a wee short, Christina and Sara ride out several months back to meet Susan and see her 100+ acre farm and new draught horses. They saddle ‘em up and take a ride. Two of them (the draught horses) pulling a John Deere horse drawn wagon. So the kind of hit it off and agree that Sara should introduce Susan to our neighbor, Duane, who’s into draught horses. It’s a little more than a hobby for him. He’s got 16 of ‘em.

Now you are caught up. Something’s stirring with draught horses, so today, the day of the lunar eclipse, it is time for Bob and his wife Linda who brought all this together, to meet up with Christina and Susan, Sara and me and draught horse rock star Duane from down the hill. Duane did get Sara going a little bit the night before. Sara called with a friendly reminder to come up for lunch and he said that he thought he’d slide up for a few minutes. I assured Sara that was cowboy talk for he’d be here but have a foot in the door if he didn’t find himself enjoying himself. Besides, he was dressing up two horses in bells and such and doing some Christmas themed ride for some folks nearby.

Duane ends up bonding with the Argyle Chardonnay and Sara’s buffalo chili, and seems to be getting on well with the horse people and tolerating even those of us who barely know head from tail. Duane’s a great story teller, very friendly guy and ambassador of draught horses. After breaking cornbread together we head down to Duane’s 70 acre place to get a tour of the barn and some up close time with his 16 Shires. What follows are photos of that journey, giving you a pictorial tour of our lunar lunch in the shire.

Before I leave ya with those photos, I will tell you one highlight. We were standing down in the horse barn and most all the Shires are up pasture. Duane yells, “Ya’ll come on!” and roughly 16 horses times 1,800 pounds and piece come galloping down towards the barn and the red bucket of oats in Duane’s big hands. Let me tell you, you can feel THAT in your chest! Whoa! Anyway, enjoy the pics. You can click on them to make them larger.