Hayride 2014

For the last several years, my extended family on my mom's side has congregated at my grandma's house on the first Sunday in June for what we call The Hayride. (I use that language because, as I wrote about in last year's recap, there's not actually hay involved.) It has become a fun tradition: we all grill and eat lunch, and afterward, we hop on a trailer and sit down on benches we've piled on the trailer, and then my uncle pulls the trailer around the farm and nearby woods with his tractor.

(Not this tractor, though, just to be clear.)

Seeing muddy terrain isn't necessarily uncommon on our hayride, but after several inches of rain fell in the 24 hours leading up to the event, my uncle had to modify the route to include more dirt roads and fewer trails in the woods. Whether the hayride would even occur was actually up in the air through lunchtime, but after we ate, the sun came out and it turned into a beautiful, warm afternoon. I am so glad we were able to go!

I like this lookout point on my grandma's farm. This is when the clouds started to backtrack.

The farmland and trees were unbelievably green - in some places, practically emerald green.

Enjoying the trip:

I loved leaning back, relaxing, and watching the big horizon, puffy clouds and rich blue sky. I love our home in the city, but a big horizon is something special.

This looks like Minnesota summer to me.