Two allergies. Dust and hay. I live in an area where I am surrounded by farms and hay fields, in a valley famous for lawn type grass seed. (Pot is legal here, I specify. Actually, I don't know, we might be famous for pot, too, for all I know, but I don't know, at this point, if I am allergic to it... Sigh.)
I really like this time of year, because of the plants growing tall and strong, but I sound like a very snorfl-y puppy most of this time, because of hay season. The hay is cut, knocking all the pollen and dust in the air. Swept into rows to bale, then baled, and carried off. These each throw stuff about to make my nose twitchy. And I love to be outside.
I garden. Snorf. I walk. Sniff. Pet the cat. Blurfsnif. Talk to the neighbor after haying. Ah-choo!
So enjoyable. Not... But, it's a nuisance, not life threatening, so I just carry an extra hanky, and deal. The weather is changing, we normally have way hot weather right now, and the hay can stay in the fields for a bit. The old adage, "Make hay while the sun shines"? Yes, the hay is being stored away, because we are due for rain, which will ruin the hay. One farmer even offered a bonus to the folks helping him get the hay put up, so he wouldn't have it rained on.
The rain, with the warm? We get mold around here quite a bit. You know what ELSE that I am allergic to?
Yep...
Excuse me while I go wash some hankies...
(Oh, and if you have a 7-11 store near you, today is free Slurpee day. One of my more enjoyable kid like vices...)
Showing posts with label haying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label haying. Show all posts
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I had a great day yesterday! Ow...
I had so much fun yesterday!
I was a little behind the 8 ball to begin with, Mr. D was going to pick up hay with his (kids? grandkids?) help, and he showed up at about 6 ish. Would be the day I slept in... I was just finishing breakfast, and Husband said he was going to go on ahead. I showed up, helped move a few bales, but most everything had been pretty well finished by the time I arrived. Dad came out, (it was Mom and Dad's pasture), and we talked, and watched Mr. D and Sidekick go about with a hay squeeze, picking up ten bales at once, then setting them on the back of the trailer. I remember many a year picking bales one by one, this was a definite plus in my book.
Sidekick mentioned that he had calves, and were we going to do anything with the broken bales, and strewn hay? I hadn't planned to do much with it, just see if the llamas wanted it, so I said he could have it. He was quite pleased with this, and then Dad came up with the idea to go rake up the hay into one spot, as a surprise for Sidekick. I thought it sounded good, so we hooked up a trailer to Dad's lawnmower, and proceeded to get the big stuff raked up and to the front. This worked great, but soon we were stopping every few feet to pick up more little 'tufts'. Dad said, let's use the buck rake. I thought, fine, we'll have to get out the big tractor. Next thing I know, Dad has undone the trailer, and has me back up to the buck rake. HUH?
It worked slicker than wet ice! I drove, Dad rode the rake, and we went all over the pasture, raking 'tufts' into big rolls, which then were deposited in the pile. I'd seen Dad's buck rake for years, (I have no clue how old it is, but it's meant for horse drawing, Dad modified it for being pulled by motorized equipment. 1800's wouldn't surprise me...), but I had never seen it in action. We kept moving, slowly, and then Dad would push a lever, the rake would lift, and TA DA, a nice roll of hay, right where you need it! I have a feeling we were a sight to behold, several cars slowed waaaaaaaaaaay down to watch us. I was getting tired about 1, and so asked if we could take a break. We went into the house and made lunch.
And Sidekick showed up, just as we were sitting down to lunch. He said that Mr. D had mentioned we were raking the hay for him, (Ah, life in a fishbowl), and so Sidekick had driven by. He saw the amount of hay we'd raked, and brought his horse trailer. I didn't think it was that much hay, and it was loose, but when he finished up, it was nearly level with the windows. And I believe it was a two horse trailer. So I guess he got quite a bit of hay.
I have about 2 tons to sell, Mr. D and Sidekick had about 2 tons each, and Sidekick had extra for his calves, so it's all good.
Oh, and the ow? I found out, I haven't raked hay in a while. I have become slightly enamored of Tylenol... My shoulder blades hate me. Just wish I could do some more... LATER...
I was a little behind the 8 ball to begin with, Mr. D was going to pick up hay with his (kids? grandkids?) help, and he showed up at about 6 ish. Would be the day I slept in... I was just finishing breakfast, and Husband said he was going to go on ahead. I showed up, helped move a few bales, but most everything had been pretty well finished by the time I arrived. Dad came out, (it was Mom and Dad's pasture), and we talked, and watched Mr. D and Sidekick go about with a hay squeeze, picking up ten bales at once, then setting them on the back of the trailer. I remember many a year picking bales one by one, this was a definite plus in my book.
Sidekick mentioned that he had calves, and were we going to do anything with the broken bales, and strewn hay? I hadn't planned to do much with it, just see if the llamas wanted it, so I said he could have it. He was quite pleased with this, and then Dad came up with the idea to go rake up the hay into one spot, as a surprise for Sidekick. I thought it sounded good, so we hooked up a trailer to Dad's lawnmower, and proceeded to get the big stuff raked up and to the front. This worked great, but soon we were stopping every few feet to pick up more little 'tufts'. Dad said, let's use the buck rake. I thought, fine, we'll have to get out the big tractor. Next thing I know, Dad has undone the trailer, and has me back up to the buck rake. HUH?
It worked slicker than wet ice! I drove, Dad rode the rake, and we went all over the pasture, raking 'tufts' into big rolls, which then were deposited in the pile. I'd seen Dad's buck rake for years, (I have no clue how old it is, but it's meant for horse drawing, Dad modified it for being pulled by motorized equipment. 1800's wouldn't surprise me...), but I had never seen it in action. We kept moving, slowly, and then Dad would push a lever, the rake would lift, and TA DA, a nice roll of hay, right where you need it! I have a feeling we were a sight to behold, several cars slowed waaaaaaaaaaay down to watch us. I was getting tired about 1, and so asked if we could take a break. We went into the house and made lunch.
And Sidekick showed up, just as we were sitting down to lunch. He said that Mr. D had mentioned we were raking the hay for him, (Ah, life in a fishbowl), and so Sidekick had driven by. He saw the amount of hay we'd raked, and brought his horse trailer. I didn't think it was that much hay, and it was loose, but when he finished up, it was nearly level with the windows. And I believe it was a two horse trailer. So I guess he got quite a bit of hay.
I have about 2 tons to sell, Mr. D and Sidekick had about 2 tons each, and Sidekick had extra for his calves, so it's all good.
Oh, and the ow? I found out, I haven't raked hay in a while. I have become slightly enamored of Tylenol... My shoulder blades hate me. Just wish I could do some more... LATER...
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