Late August is a time in rural communities where there is one pursuit to complete. That is baling hay. It is a task that I remember well. 

My maternal parents had a bit of a farm with cattle along the Blackstone River. Late August is when baling hay was the task of those days. This is where the youngsters learned to drive the trucks as the older (bigger) people heaved the bales. 

As we grew older, we threw the bales too. We would stack them as high as practical and then drive them to the barn. Then we would toss the bales and stack them in the barn right up to the rafters. We then showered and took a swim to prevent the itchiness that would be inevitable. 

But baling hay does something else. It creates a common purpose in the family or community. Doing hard work together in this manner creates an esprit de corps that is not broken. 

We commemorate those late August days at Made From RI. There are Rhode Island Made ornaments we have curated to recall that bond of common pursuit. Find these days again or remember the current activity at Made From RI.

• Americana Barn Ornament - Made From RI
• Rooster Ornament - Made From RI
• Boots and Hat Ornament - Made From RI