It seems like just yesterday but at the same time it seems like a lifetime ago. April 15, 2008, was not only tax day for us but it was also a nightmare for our family. It was such a windy day. Those aren't uncommon here, but on this day it was especially bad. Only a few days before, a fire had been lit to burn excess trash, namely a pile of plastic that had covered silage. The trash fire had been thought to be out, but the strong winds that day stirred up the plastic and the embers fired back up. One piece of plastic, three fields over from the barn, flew across dry hay fields and landed on the haystack next to the barn. The hay immediately caught fire. It was a total nightmare. It took four volunteer fire departments from the surrounding towns to finally put out the fire and keep the fire from spreading to other haystacks, the barn, the sheds, the corrals and the equipment surrounding the hay. Neighbors were nice enough to help us move our other haystacks away from the fire and they used their equipment to try to control the fire. I don't know if I will ever forget the feeling of standing there watching the hay burn up and wondering about what happens next. (I still get that wrench in the gut feeling thinking about it.) That day, we lost 400 tons of hay. I hope our family (or any other farm families) never have to go through that ever again. It was a terrible loss. Now that I look back at it, it still seems like a terrible loss but I know it could've been worse. Thanks again to all those people who helped us with our tragedy.
Gary, his father, Afton, and his brother Paul watching the hay burn.
The morning after the fire. 
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