Hay Is Not Just for Horses...or the Weak

Oh the joys.

Haying season is upon us. Actually, haying should have already occurred, but since it's been wet, everything is off.

However, today is the day. Yesterday was the culmination of a lot of worrying and nashing of the teeth and threatening of not being able to go on our vacation (which is in a few weeks, and when I hung a paper chain as a visual learning tool for our kids... Joe freaked out). Hay was mowed. Hay is DOWN, PEOPLE...and the choppers are en route to work until it's done, even if that means that I am now the third base coach at the softball game...never mind that I haven't played since the early nineties...

So, hay is not just for horses...it's for those who are steadfast, strong, and okay with worrying about not just the precipitation aspect of the weather, but the list goes on. When one is haying, one must also consider (read: worry) about humidity, wind speed, temperature in the air and of the actual hay itself (ever heard of spontaneous combustion...welcome to haying). Joe does most of our hay mowing on an open station tractor, so he has to consider his comfort, to an extent, so sunscreen and a wide brimmed cowboy hat is a must.

Then there's the chopping aspect of it. Generally, we bale our hay in big round bales. However, we have some custom chopped, so not only are we at the mercy of the weather's conditions, but also the availability and timeliness and, heaven forbid, potential breakdowns of the custom choppers.

Sigh.

So, Joe's nerves are shot. He's ready to go...actually gone at the moment, and will be gone for the rest of the day and potentially into the night, but that's okay. He's strong in mind, and I'll keep him fed and hydrated as best as I can.

Haying is not for the weak, people, but boy do we need a vacation after this craziness!