Well if you were a farmer with hay to make, this past week has been an absolutely fantastic week for making hay. Days and days of dry weather, just what you need to “cure” the hay. You cannot make wet hay.

Hay must be dry, otherwise, something called:” spontaneous combustion” could occur and your barn could catch on fire. That is why the expression is “you have to make hay while the sun shines”.

In order to avoid spontaneous combustion, the moisture content has to be 15 percent or less. If it rains before the hay gets baled, then it is back to tedding (which tosses the hay around so that the sun dries more of it) and raking the hay(getting the hay in about 18 inch wide rows for the baler).

Every time the hay gets wet, you lose some nutrients and if you mow the hay right before a stretch of rainy days, you may have to either abandon the hay or make mulch hay.

The Kenoza Lake United Methodist Church is moving ahead and getting ready to re-open. We don't have a fixed date for the re-opening date. However, we hope and pray that it will be soon, either later this month or July. Also, stay tuned on the announcement of the new pastor duties for the new church year, which will be as of August 1st this year.

Last night I asked George Slater if the Kenoza Lake Volunteer Fire Company will be having their annual chicken barbeque on July 25th. George advises me that the firemen have not yet decided if they will have it or not. Last Sunday there was a Sausage and Pepper drive through fundraiser by the Grahamsville Fire Company, a positive sign of returning to normalcy.

It is always interesting how one year you have this or that plant or bird and the next year, not. The winter of 2019, something struck the inkberry/boxwood bushes. This year, not. The inkberry and boxwoods look fantastic this year. This year, I have only seen one spray of wisteria. There seems to be more baby woodchucks this year. Have you seen twin fawns yet? Baby turkey poults?

So, this year seems to be the Year of the Red Fox. Back in April, I wrote how a vixen fox who had four kits living in an abandoned woodchuck hole, on the Ottos' Pucky Huddle Road property. Then an eagle swooped in and snatched up one of the kits and then there were three kits. The parents and three kits have survived. Recently I saw one hopping through our field like a kangaroo.

Last night, one was following our neighbor down Pucky Huddle Road like a puppy dog. I have seen red foxes on Bernhardt Road. Last night, George Slater told me that he saw five red foxes on the lawn of the former Catherine Krum residence.

Mike Fox tells me that a few decades ago, one could take a dead red fox to the town clerk and get paid a $3.00 bounty. The town clerk would cut the nose, so the person didn't shop the red fox to another town clerk's office. Carl Lindsley said there was also a bounty paid for Great Horned Owls. Both foxes and owls love chickens.

Farewell, to Kauneonga Lake/Town of Bethel residents Dorothy & Jay Meddaugh. They are heading down south to live. We miss you already.

Friendly reminder, Tuesday, June 23rd is Primary Day. The Sullivan County Board of Elections website has lots of information for you about the election, including sample ballots and the times for early voting. Only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in the Primary. Check out the Board of Election website.

In my humble opinion, the recent Sullivan West School Budget vote was a disaster. I know several people who never even got their ballots. Also, one person got it two hours before the polls closed.