Hay Bales & Raindrops

Yesterday, despite rather overcast skies, we were able to start baling hay around 1 p.m......thanks to a strong southerly breeze drying the hay swaths just enough to be fit for baling. Husband was hoping that the remaining hay on the ground could be baled and not chopped, but the weather has been cool and damp lately, frustrating previous baling plans. In the first photo, the guys are making the first round; Husband is up in the hay basket making room for more bales. I will take over driving the tractor after this first test load is done.

Next we see the baler hitch backed up to the hay basket hitch. Oops......somebody backed up a little too far......

(At the end of this post is a video taken from the tractor cab show the baling process in action. Go look at it now if you want to, then come back to this point.) Ok, the hay basket is full, so full that a bale tumbled off the top and onto the ground. Groaning and muttering, I will roll and lift the 70-plus pound bale onto the brace bars at the bottom of the basket. It will ride fine there.

Here's a side view of the full hay basket:

Hmm......I'm waiting for an empty basket. Hmm......this is quite boring. Twiddling my thumbs now. Harumph......those bovine gals staring my way don't care about anyone except themselves, I can assure you of that. As long as they are comfortable and have plenty of grass to munch on, they are happy.

Oh, yipes......there is a MUCH larger audience gawking at me now. I'd better behave myself. "Hi, there, kiddos! How ya doin'? Yeah, we're friends.....you betcha!" (I suspect they have a hankering for some fresh hay.)

FINALLY, an empty hay basket is coming my way:

Before baling resumes, Husband must put two new thingees of twine in the baler. He calls the thingees "bales".......in my opinion they are more like "spools". In this next photo he has connected the new twine with the old via a knot and must PULL that knot until it is as smooth and tight as possible in order to slide through the baler's knotting apparatus without catching. If it gets caught, the twine will break and hay will exit the baler in loose form. Certainly, that does happen on occasion, causing delays and grumpiness.

He's now putting the second new bale/spool of twine in place:

Back and forth across the field crawls our caravan of tractor-baler-hay basket, swallowing up hay swaths. Oh, no.......unwelcome visitors are now descending on our happy little parade. Raindrops! Dismay, dismay.

Soon I am joined in the field by Husband in his tractor pulling the big round baler. The rain is fairly light and he is hoping with two balers going we can finish up as quickly as possible. This next shot is poor, but it shows the back end of the round baler lifting up and dropping a bale out.

Whew......finally done. I am following a full hay basket up the field driveway. Alongside is a cornfield that you may go ahead and inspect.

The full load of hay was being pulled by the good old dependable John Deere 630:

Oh, my......the baling task is done and I am beat. Working with machinery wears me out. Farm machinery is made to be operated by MEN. So much effort is involved, or at least I think so. I had to climb in and out of the tractor many times......the door is very heavy and the hinges don't work right, requiring much oomph to open and hold open for climbing in and out, moves which my husband and son do effortlessly, of course. The PTO lever pulls back VERY hard. The hay basket hitches are difficult to undo. The hay bales are very heavy to move when need be. I'm not complaining (maybe), just stating facts. It all adds up to: I AM TIRED. But, the first hay crop of the season is now completely finished and that is something to be thankful for.

Have a great day! Be sure to watch the video: