The weather is warm. Makes me think of making hay on or around the 4th of July. I can almost feel the twine on the bales digging into my hands..making blisters. I know I can feel the scratchy hay chaff settling down everywhere I was sweating..especially right down my shirt. My legs would be covered with the telltale signs of hay making..scraped and red in places where the stiffer stalks would try to puncture your skin. Of course a simple solution would have been to wear pants while making hay..but it was summer and I was a kid. I could pick a bale up off the ground and get it onto the hay wagon to be stacked. Some of those bales were pretty heavy. I won’t mention the mess a bale makes if the twine breaks.
Hay making has come a long ways since then…at least we had a tractor and a baler.
This is a photo that my Mom took in 1952.
Me and my Uncle Kenny and my Aunt Karen.
It looks like Kenny has irritated Karen and I am heading for my own adventure. We are sitting in the lawn out in front of Grandma and Grandpa D’s house in the grass which has clover..which made me think of making hay and the 4th of July. Some days my mind is round about like that:)
You were such a cute baby. I never had the opportunity to live on a farm so haymaking is not familiar to me. One of the many joys of life that I have missed out on.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about how hay is made. And I've heard that phrase "making hay" without understanding the process. Now I'm sure I will never make hay! :-)
ReplyDeleteYep 4th of July and making hay go hand in hand. Our small bales are done :) goes pretty quickly when we feed out mostly large round bales.... but it is enough to get dirty, dusty, itchy and a little bit stiff and sore from using muscles that aren't used to it.
ReplyDeleteI never was "in the hay" but I remember the summertime scents of the clover and wild strawberries. Those were the good ol' days. Can we go back to them please? :)
ReplyDeleteHow well I remember those hay baling days. Hot, sore, dirty, sweaty, and all scraped up. It was a long day standing on the wagon throwing and stacking bales. What I wouldn't give to be able to do it now :)
ReplyDeleteCute photo. Loved reading your memories of hay making. I am so allergic to hay....that would have killed me!
ReplyDeleteThe last few years we've passed the hay making on to our neighbour, who uses it for his cattle. Pride can't eat hay, and the old sheep didn't eat much, and we were just over doing all the work, and the worry of getting it done in time. In some ways I miss it, but not the work of picking up the bales and then stacking them in the barn.
ReplyDeleteI have memories of haying season, too. I remember using hay hooks and turning bales in the filed so the stacker can easily pick them up. My brother liked to have heavy bales, so I sometimes struggled to manhandle them when feeding the cows. Ah, the memories.
ReplyDeleteI've never been responsible for making hay - but I've picked up my share of bales. The first time I showed up in shorts and short sleeves. I learned that I preferred a short period of hot and sweaty to days of tender scrapes and scratches.
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of you all as babies. I bet your Grandma and Grandpa were thrilled to have the babies visiting.
What a great picture! That is why I never do hay without wearing long pants, I do wear short sleeves and I even regret that when I do.
ReplyDeleteDo NOT miss bucking bales! Just sayin....
ReplyDeleteGood childhood memories, yes I am sure you worked very hard. My husband grew up on a farm, and I know he did. But it made you the upright, wonderful work ethic people that you are now.
ReplyDeleteJen
My husband used to load bales for the farm across the street. He and a high school friend were paid a nickle a bale.
ReplyDeleteOff on your own adventure. Even then. :-)
Have a Happy, Safe, Fourth!
I was wondering how baling hay got to the three little kids. You're very descriptive as It brought back vivid memories. I did were long pants.
ReplyDeleteI still remember the last time we baled and hauled hay...getting ready for the next time in two weeks!
ReplyDeleteHappy Fourth to you and Far Guy!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
And that adventurous little baby grew up and hoisted hay bales...and now remembers hoisting hay bales. Time slips away so quickly. Miraculous and surprising! :)
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