Thursday, July 03, 2008

when Father calls.....

A few weeks ago, we were able to get our first few loads of hay in. Everyone was happy, because for the first time in a number of years, hay season "seemed on schedule, maybe even a little early"... THEN... the "weather pattern" hit.... bright sunny morning, humid mid-days, and thunderstorms (BIG thunderstorms... wind/hail/driving rain, etc.) And it seemed that the weather men would say, this pattern should break within the next few days... only to decide later, that it wasn't going to break. NOT good for the hay man!!!

Now "our" hayman is fondly known as "Father", and he has been haying for years and years!!!! Ed first met him thru connections with the fire department, and we have watched him hay this field for many summers. When we knew that we were going to be living in Acton and would be needing hay, Father was the first one we called. He said he sold it out of the field, and if we wanted some, we just needed to "be there" when he said....

So, we go about our business, but always keeping in the back of our minds that "Father" could be calling us any day or time, saying that he was able to get some hay down, and we need to come and get it!!!!!

Yesterday, Father called.... sadly, I had to go to "work" and couldn't help out, but ever faithful Ken was there, and Ed was also able to grab brother Bill.... they brought in another 120 bales. Then this afternoon, Father was able to get another section down and baled, so I postponed my dog student and ran up to help bring in this batch. One more to go and we will have next winter's hay all tucked safely in the barn.

I feel so fortunate, because even as Father has been baling and Ed and Ken loading, people have been stopping by the field to see if they can buy some hay. We pretty much bought the "first field"... so Father just politely tells them.. "sorry, it's spoken for". Now, more than likely there will be a second cutting (which is usually better quality), but I am pretty happy with this hay and just feel happy that I know I have it, and don't have to "worry"..... and just before we went to get hay... look how far Ed and Ken got on the barn today.... it's no wonder that my dear hubby falls into bed at night and sleeps until the dawn!!!!


Moxie, by the way, is absolutely loving this life of "being a farm dog".... good thing she didn't know about this life style during her show days... she might have decided showing was a waste of time, when you could be doing things like this..... She sat and watched us bring hay into the loft, jumped in the gator when I parked it inside tonite, and generally loves checking out the farm and all it's goings on.......