2013 Atlantic Hand Mowing Championships: Hay Stacking

Ross Farm

New Ross, NS

Aug. 25, 2013

One of several contestants trying their best at the hay stacking competition.  It was a very hot day at Ross Farm, I'm sure being showered in scratchy hay didn't help matters.

The winner was judged on the weight of hay lifted as a percentage of their body weight...hopefully no one went crazy and tried to drop a weight class to win this one! ;-)  I watched several people hoist ~ 50 lbs of hay on their best attempts.  No small feat!

What's on this weekend?

A small number of events this long weekend.  

A trip to Ross farm might be fun if you and your kin are interested in wood punching, quill pen writing, taffy pulling, candle dipping , cow milking, and blacksmithing.

Have a great and safe long weekend everyone!

Breakfasts

August 31, 

Royal Canadian Legion #23, Lunenburg, 

7:30-11:30 a.m. 

Adults $8; ages 5-12, $4. 

Takeout available for pick-up $8.50. 634-4215

Community Events

August 31, 

WALDEN SUMMER BASH 

3- 10 p.m. 

Games of Chance, Auction, Bake Table, Bingo, Canteen, Live Entertainment, Yard Sale and Food Pit. 

For more information contact Richard at 644-3460 or walden.firedepartment@gmail.com

Aug 31 - Sept. 2

Ross Farm Family Participation Days

Info on Ross Farm's site

10th Annual Maritime Hand Mowing Championships

The 10th annual Maritime Hand Mowing Championships were held at Ross Farm last weekend and what a glorious weekend it was!  Saturday's events included scythe sharpening and peening workshops as well lots of hand mowing tips and tricks.

Sunday was the main event, with novice classes competing in the morning and the well attended open class in the afternoon.  Before the afternoon festivities, there was an excellent and delicious lunch on offer.  If I heard correctly, this is a Yorkshire pig, which was roasted whole over a propane/charcoal mix.  The pork rinds/cracklin's were amazing.

Roast Pig BBQ!!!

Competitors were judged on 4 criteria:  Time to mow strip, width of swath taken, height of stubble (lower is better) and evenness of stubble height across the swath.

The wind was sporadic which made for a sweaty and hot afternoon.  18 people competed in the open class before a decent sized crowd of ~50 onlookers.  I was surprised I did not hear the phrase, "ready, set, MOW" all afternoon. Was I the only one uttering that phrase to myself?

I wish I had taken a break from the action to see the resident cooper in action, but that will have to wait for another visit to Ross Farm.

I hope you enjoy my captures from the afternoon.  Check out Ross Farm's events page for upcoming activities.  This weekend's family participation days look like a lot of fun for young and not-so-young folks.

A couple young whippersnappers check out a human whipper snipper.

Attendees and competitors taking in the action.

Ross Farm Wheat.  To paraphrase W.P. Kinsella , if you grow it, they will come.

A judge watches a competitor reach the end of his strip.

A wide swath!

DvL publisher and founder, Dirk Van Loon (left), chats with competitors.

What's on this weekend? Horse & ox pulls! Sailboats! Eco fair! Blueberries!!

Several festivals on this weekend, if you are anywhere in the Bridgewater to Chester area, there's something happening this weekend. ^_^

For those who have been searching for the date of the upcoming Conquerall Bank planked halibut supper, it's next Sunday (Aug. 25th).

Breakfasts

August 17 

Firemen's Breakfast 

Petite Riviere Fire Department Hall

$7 per person

Community Events

August 16 & 17

New Ross Community Fair

Schedule of events here

Aug 14 - 17

Chester Race Week

Official site

Aug 13- 17

Growing Green Festival

Bridgewater, NS

Official site

Suppers

Saturday, August 17

Blueberry Supper, 

St. Jerome's Church Hall, West Caledonia,

4:30- 7 p.m. 

Adults $10; under 12 $5; under 5 free.

August 25

Planked Halibut Supper; 

Conquerall Bank fire hall.

4:30-6:30 p.m. 

$15 adults, $6 children and under 5 free. 

Seating area inside while you wait. Wheelchair accessible.

What's on this weekend? New Ross Christmas Festival! Breakfast! Desbrisay Open House!

New Ross is the place to be this weekend for all things Christmas.  Hebbs Cross has your greasy breakfast fix, back to New Ross Friday and Saturday for a community supper.

Breakfasts

Dec. 8
Hebbs Cross Fire Department
7:00am - 11:00am,
Homemade baked beans, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, toast, tea, coffee, juice. 

Price $7, children $3.

Suppers

December 7

Community Supper
New Ross Legion

4:30pm - 6:30pm,
Come and taste all the delicious foods that makes up a Pot Luck meal. 

Adults $9.00; 5 - 12 years - $4.00 and those under 5 years eat at no cost to you. 

There will be Christmas crafts and Surprise Packages for sale, and perhaps baked goods.

Dec. 8
Turkey Dinner & Supper
Forties Community Centre

11:30am - 1:30pm,
Turkey dinner with all the trimmings. 

Adults $10; 12 and under $5; under 5 $2.50. 

Proudly part of the New Ross Christmas Festival. 

Call 689-2612 or 689-2000 for information.

Community Events

Dec.8
Craft Fair and Tree Decorating Contest
Forties Community Centre

10:00am - 4:00pm,
No admission. 

Proudly part of the New Ross Christmas Festival. 

Call 689-2612 or 689-2000 for information.

Dec. 8
Christmas Craft & Gift Fair
New Ross Consolidated School

10:00am,
A large Craft & Gift Fair featuring 40 vendors.

Festival Stage performers and Demonstrations of traditional crafts. 

Light lunch available and door prize draw.

Dec. 8
Christkindlmarkt - part of the New Ross Christmas Festival
Bandstand

4:00 pm,
A little German Christmas Festival for those who miss them. 

A part of the New Ross Christmas Festival. 

Featuring German sausage, Pancakes and cookies with other genuine German goodies.

Dec. 9

DesBrisay Museum Christmas Open House
DesBrisay Museum

2:00pm - 4:00pm,
Crafts and games for the kids, face painting, gingerbread decorating, Jelly bean game.

Christmas Carol singalong, Christmas trivia games, door prizes, apple cider, punch and Christmas Cookies. 

Bring a food bank donation.

Practically...

...in every way. For once, I didn't do any adjustments to the shot, no levels, no auto white balance, nuttin'. Shot at Ross Farm a couple of weeks ago. The stove was made by the Lunenburg Foundry. ^_^

Come sit by the fiyah

A peek inside the porch of Rose Bank Cottage (1817) at Ross Farm. Love those wide planks on the door and the gun hanging over the doorway.

Just makin' a spoon

Another shot from Ross Farm, this time from the carpentry shop. I asked lots of questions about the various tools in the shop. I could hang out there for years....

White ash broom

A gorgeous broom made from local white ash, shot at Ross Farm a couple of weekends ago.

White ash shavings

Shot at Ross Farm last weekend, I'm assuming these shavings were from the wooden spoon that was being carved that afternoon...

Where are you from, New Ross?

A clip from this past winter, I finally got up the nerve to stop and talk to this guy about the intersting truck tractor he had built: