Animals

Making Hay While The Sun Shines

First of all,

I have to tell you....

I am blessed.

Blessed in more ways than I deserve.

One particular blessing of interest in this post,

is the blessing of wonderful neighbors.

I have never lived in a place, before moving to the farm,

where neighbors were so ready and willing to lend a hand...

whenever needed and for whatever.

People who live in the country are like that.

Yes,

they just get it.

They get what life is all about.

Case in point....

Last week we received the news that the fellow who used to cut and bale our hay

was no longer interested in the job....too far to travel to do the work, apparently.

That left us with little or no time to find help...

with hay long and thick and in need of cutting.

Becky (Hubbs' sister) and I talked about this issue and decided that we would like to try to

make our own hay this year....with the exception of cutting (as we have no hay-bine.)

A farmer from a local dairy offered to cut our hay and did so on Saturday.

It promptly rained.

And rained.

Sunday we let the hay air dry.

Monday we got to work.

With much gratitude to our neighbor, Barry, for lending us the equipment...

rake, tetter, and baler, wagon, and elevator....

Becky and I set out to do the work ourselves.

The next batch of gratitude goes to our closest neighbor, Jim (who graciously gives me

my one day off each week).

Jim got all of the equipment ready and showed us how to use the tetter and rake.

Then he spent the rest of the day getting the baler greased and ready...

while Becky drove our 1953 Ford "Tin Lizzy"

with the rake attached
and I drove "Alice",

Barry's 1950-something Allis Chalmers, and "fluffed".
(Have I ever mentioned that I am in love with antique tractors???)

Back and forth over the rows of mown hay...

over and over,

flipping the hay,

raking it together,

so that the sun could dry it.

We actually tried to bale some in the late afternoon, but the hay was still a little damp.

That's Jim driving the baler.

Tuesday morning brought more of the same....raking and "fluffing",

in an attempt to get the hay dried, baled and stowed into the barns

before the predicted thunder storms.

We failed....it rained....right when I finished "fluffing."
And although I sound calm now,
I wasn't calm.
I swore.
I cursed the weather.

And an hour later the sun came out again....
so back to fluffing I went.

Weather is the one major wild card in farming.

Weather can make you

or break you.

Weather makes us "farmers" a bit crazy....

and causes us to work like maniacs to accomplish tasks quickly.

If the weather cooperates and the hay is dry, we will get it baled and into the barn
today.
God willing.

Without the graciously offered help of wonderful neighbors,
we would be hayless.
To Barry for loaning us all of the necessary equipment....Thank You!

And thank you Jim, for the hours of preparation, guidance, and patience.

Keep your fingers crossed for us....
that we finish this task today.
We are burnt, bushed and bug bitten....
but it feels great to make our own hay!

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Animals