all hallow's eve hayride

Last night we went out to my mom's farm for a harvest/halloween celebration. It was a beautiful, clear, cool night out. They built a big fire in the fire pit. My mom has candles burning everywhere (my step dad one time told her he counted a gross of candles just in the living room), and she has all of her trees and porches and decks strung in twinkling white lights all year round. Just lovely. My mom had put wine and cheese out in her little garden cabin that is decorated with rocking chairs and antique garden tools and the like, so Lee and I wandered out there where candles were flickering and enjoyed a glass of wine under the stars.

My stepdad had lined the long trailer with hay bales, put loose hay all over the bottom of it, and hitched up the tractor for a hayride. We all snuggled down into the hay, under warm quilts, and he drove us all over the farm, through all the fields, around the edges of the woods. The sky was so clear and the stars and planets were just amazing. Andy and his cousin Justin, being the oldest (and only teenaged) grandkids, silently "fell" off the wagon at some point, donned scary hoods and hid out, and at a certain point jumped out of the trees and jumped back on the wagon screaming, scaring the bejeezus out of all the little kids. We had so much fun--all of us laughing and joking and howling and star-gazing and telling spooky stories, with all the little kids sort of scared but mostly giggling and having the time of their lives. Then we all headed back for hot chocolate and hot tea. It was really a magical evening, and I am reminded of how blessed I am to have my mom and my stepdad and my whole wonderful family.