September 5, 2005 - Making Hay
Today we helped some friends make hay! Hay making is one of those things that elicits fonder memories the longer its been since you’ve done it!
It all starts innocently enough, with the geometric patterns of cut and raked hay in the field. This looks comforting. Anybody who has made hay knows you can predict the hottest days of the year by the hay-cutting schedule.
There is romance about the equipment. Here’s the New Holland baler that we used.
Of course, there are often numerous adjustments to make to fine-tune the baler. The expression that there’s nothing a farmer can’t fix without wire and baling twine, deals primarily with the baler itself.
Eventually, usually with the threat of approaching weather, the hay bales arrive safely to the barn. We are using our barn as a storage area for this hay.
This is the most unsavory part of the day. The day ended at dark, or at least the work did - then it is time for a drafty beverage, simple meal, and the feeling of hay in the barn good as money in the bank.
