I think I figured out a way to make Harvest Moon go a little quicker. Once I pretty much finished doing as much as I could within a chapter, I found myself wasting the time away fishing, riding the horse, etc. I really just wanted the game to progress to the next chapter but I had to wait. Well this isn't rocket science but it just dawned on me that I can just go to bed 3 times in a row, go take care of the plants and animals, then back to bed another 3 times. This way, the animals and plants get taken care of and the game time is moving along at a rapid pace. Until I reach the next chapter of course, then I'll get to making more friends and such.