It is July 13th and the sun is out and shining brightly, and the wind is blowing nicely, hopefully drying the grass that Neil cut yesterday.  We missed the first round of hay-making in June. Neil was booked off on
holidays one week too early!  Since then he has been putting off his July holidays until he was sure he could make good use of them.

All over Facebook, friends were applauding themselves for their great success in cutting, baling and storing wonderful quality hay in their barns before the next rainfall.  We continued to watch the weather forecasts for another good opportunity and couldn't get three nice days strung together with no chance of rain.
These are the difficulties you face when you make your own hay!  But now it is our chance!

The mere suggestion of "making hay while the sun shines" causes all sorts of arguments and bad feelings
around this house. Neil telling the the kids how important the hay is to all of us, although they can't quite see it. The kids telling Neil they need plenty of warning as they have their own lives and plans. And him telling Kathryn that he is only making square bales (which are way more labor intensive) for HER horses.  HIS cows only use rounds bales. Alex doesn't have any investment in the farm, in the way of animals, so he gets paid for his work.

Mom (me) gets to drives the tractor, another sticking point, while Neil and the kids stack the hay on the wagon as it comes out of the baler.  Unfortunately, to do hay, you need a hot dry day but that makes it miserable to be out working in. When you sweat you tend to get covered in pieces of loose hay which tickles and scratches.  It is very uncomfortable!    Here are some photos from 2009!

I've gotten better managing the tractor over the years. I have to watch the baler while I am driving up and down hills to make sure it doesn't get jammed. If so, I have to hit the clutch then the brake. All the while concerned that the folks on the wagon aren't launched off it!  I started carrying a whistle to alert them in
the event of a sudden stop, but that was too much to manage in an emergency situation.

We are all so looking forward to heading out to the field this year, but we are short one person. Kathryn is on holidays in Scotland for two weeks! Not sure how this will work out but I am sure she is rubbing her hands in glee at her good fortune in not being home just now!