I dunno, I could be mistakin’, but I’m thinkin’ that this is my favorite time of the year. Not time of the year as in season, as in, I like summer. I do, sort of, but I’m talking about haying time.
Yeah a lot of what I love and look forward to happens in summer, but summer is not my favorite season, it is only third up on the favorite list, right after winter which is right after fall, which is my all time favorite season. Spring is dead last and actually there could be about five more seasons in between my third favorite and my least favorite season. Not unlike summer, there are things that I like and they happen to come around in the spring but that doesn’t make me like spring, just those things. I sorta hate spring, if I can be allowed to hate or despise any thing including a season.
Back to haying time. I love haying. I really don’t think I can adequately express all that I love about it. But for sure it makes me feel like a real farmer. It makes me love my horse more. And I’m not sure that that is possible really, but boy howdy along comes haying time and my horse looks prettier, livelier and smells even more like a horse. Dirt is ten pounds slimmer, and we’ve never fought a day in our lives. And my girls are the best, oh wait they always are… they are just, even better.
So what’s on the docket besides hayin’?
The last of the corn plugs will go in tomorrow, the beans will go in – yes I know! Be quiet or I will, I will, I don’t know what I will do, maybe cry, so don’t you dare say, “my, isn’t it awfully late for the beans to go in?” Yes, it is. Enough already.
Tomorrow, while the planting is happening in the Market Garden, I will be out showing Larry, our hay cutter, where Dirt told me we were cutting this year. Some new spots have been added to the roster and some spots we have determined need to wait another year.
Wednesday the girls will be seeding flats with all of the brassica family selections for fall and winter. Hopefully we can get another batch of carrots in along with some more lettuce and stuff this week. On Friday I have to help with my friend’s daughter’s wedding rehearsal dinner and then on Saturday the actual wedding. Sunday we’re home free and we will either be hauling in the rest of the hay or on to somethin’ new.
But sometime between now and Monday if you can’t find me, I will either be out marveling at the way the cut hay glistens in the late sun, cheering Martin and Fluffy on in their hunt for hay field rodentia, listening to the clatter of the rake, countin’ bales and flipping them out of damp spots or resting on the bales of hay and marveling at the cloudless sky.
By next Monday, the barn will be full, my arms will be very tore up – that oughta look nice in the fancy wedding duds on Saturday – my back will ache, but I’ll be high atop the hay, dreaming of real farmin’.
do you have round hay or the rectangle kind. for some reason i like the looks of the rectangle ones but i understand the round ones are better but i don’t know why. i DO, however, know that i LOVE the smell of hay!
smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I think you are right – haying seems to define a farm – storing up the energy from rain and sun and good earth in feed for animals during leaner times. Hope some pictures are taken of Martin Slayer of Rats doing his job! Hope your arms aren’t too torn up – weddings do make a gal want to gussy up a bit! Nice to hear your summer is progressing nicely – always busy on the Vick place.
Hi Lanny, Reading your post today reminds me of my parents’ best friends in the world, Charles & Mary. When they were younger, I remember how they love haying. Sounds like you are all busy as usual but it is a good busy. Always nice to hear from you.
Hi Lanny, Now I like the smell of hay as much as the next former farm girl..but I remember how my arms and legs if I was stupid enough to wear shorts looked and felt, that and getting hay chaff all down my shirt..sweating.. and itchin’ and getting blisters on the palms of my hands from the binder twine..well I would just be too pooped to go to a wedding after all that anymore..in fact I would probably be on a hay bale gazing at the clouds because I would be to sore to move. But you go ahead and knock yourself out with all that hayin’ ..your horse will appreciate it!
I love hay but hated unloading it and getting it up into the barn. I officially quit doing that quite awhile back when the allergy attack the hayloft gave me bordered asthma / death attack. LOL. I saw your post you made on my blog about corn; it sure must be an off year in the Pacific Northwest! My friend in northern Oregon has been complaining to me daily about his stuff and how his THREE plantings of corn all failed to germinate!! CRAZY! Now he’s complaining about how it is in the upper 90’s there. YIKES!
I’ve never helped put up hay-but I sure do love seeing other folks do it : ) Right now the fields around my community are full of bales-many folks are getting their second cutting of hay.
Happy Haying : )
Lanny: Have a great time as your farm springs into life.