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Geting ready







It is that time of year again, hay making. Tomorrow  our newly acquired rented fields, 7 kms from our farm will be cut. The weather has been good unlike the forecast on the Internet which is changing daily from dry sunny days to  isolated thunder storms and showers.

So farmer J and his haymaking partner have decided to bite the bullet and start cutting. A few days of dry weather are needed in order to cut it,turn it over to dry a couple of times, line it up ready to bale.

New machinery has been brought a second hand baler, which has been tested to see if it works before it is needed by lining up straw in front of the hanger a few times enabling enough to be fed in to make a bale.

I am so glad I don't have to take part in making those small rectangle bales anymore, although an idyllic country scene pictures in your mind of working with friends following the tractor and  baler, stacking the bales ready to be put on the trailer and then all throwing them up to the stacker on the trailer it is not one that sticks in my mind. It has to be a hot day, sweaty dusty and scratchy from the hay your arms and legs end up raw,not to mention your hands hurting from the bailing twine. Being on a time restraint to get the hay in before it rains you then have to get it off the trailer to stack it in the hanger. The only conciliation was a cold beer once the last bale had been stacked. No far better to make sandwiches and a flask and wave to farmer J as he heads off down the drive
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