Reluctant lemming

Tried to resist this one but didn't win. After posting words for several people, I guess I have to post this.

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me. It can only be one word. No more.

Then (if you haven't already) copy & paste this in your journal so that I may leave a word about you.

Unless, of course, you're erf who thinks it's funny to post it as a "no comments" entry. XD

Fireworks, freedoms, and hay

Next door neighbors had a party last night. That's fine. They were shooting off fireworks. Not just firecrackers, but skyrockets and roman candle stuff. That's not fine. For one thing, it's illegal here. And before anyone takes off an a tangent about how such laws are an infringement of their freedom to blow their hand off, blind themselves, or set fire to their house, let me point out what might have happened here.

First of all, my horses are not happy with things that sound like whips cracking or gunshots. I anticipated that there would be fireworks when I saw the number of vehicles arriving next door, and brought Tess in from the pasture. Good thing, too. Even in the barn with the doors shut, she was too nervous from the noise to settle. She paced, shied, and whinnied at each explosion. But the real kicker is that when I went out this morning to check, I found her pasture littered with the remains of those skyrockets and things. A good many of them fell on my land, with grass as dry as a desert and ready to ignite at the least spark. We are way short of the normal amount of rain this year. I have no doubt that had my horse been out there during the illicit display, she would have been in the line of fire. And if they had managed to set fire to my pasture, they wouldn't even have apologized.

This is why we have laws about fireworks, liquor sales and consumption, guns, and so forth. It's to protect others from the potential damage done by abusers. I should have a right to security and quiet within the bounds of my own property, but more and more it seems that you need hundreds of acres and a 14 foot high fence to come anywhere near to assuring that.

On another subject, we just finished moving 72 bales of hay left from last year, cleaning the hay storage area, and unloading and stacking 150 bales of new hay that arrived this week. Pushed the hay wagon back out of the barn and lined it up where our supplier can pick it up, called him to say it was ready. Now I'd hoped we could relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend, but... He says he'll have another load ready for us tomorrow. We have to accept it. If this drought continues, prices will skyrocket and there will still be no hay to be had. We'd like to have at least 400 bales going into winter, so no rest in sight for the moment.