The last of the alfalfa hay is in. The hay field was raked into windrows yesterday morning. Then the radar began to threaten rain. Radars can be very threatening. And rain is only a threat when the hay is laying all defenseless and golden on the ground. Otherwise I would say that the radar was promising rain. How fickle. Frailty thy name is weather. 
The twist test showed that the hay was good and dry. Thank you Linda on your Colorado Farm for your help with the finer details of haymaking. So much to learn as I began my journey of a thousand turns in our little two acre field. 
TT had the camera. The dogs and John walked with me to make sure everything was in working order before they went off to get the truck and load. 
Often we have trouble with the bales not knotting which can be fixed if caught in time. Our bales are never that tight anyway. Which is another skill we will learn as we go along. The baler is so old and we are so new. 
In the end we brought in 40 bales. That is not a lot but in such a dry year it is better than most. That will feed Daisy, a large lactating cow, for about 30 days. I am still hoping for some late summer rain so we get a bit of grass growing. Well a girl can hope. The neighbours came down to help and each small precious bale of nutritious hay was lifted one by one into the loft and carefully stored. We were all very hot and covered in dust, streaked with sweat and had tiny shards of itchy hay stuck to our bodies. The feeling of growing and baling your own hay is deeply satisfying.
Good morning. Just as we were all standing around the trucks saying thank you and good bye yesterday, it started to rain. Then it stopped. We all looked dissappointed. But an hour or so later just as I was fully engaged in milking and feeding, the wind came up and it poured down. I had to pull on my oil skin and button it to my ankles. I came in from work dripping, my face and hair washed by the rain and The Matriarch was unpacking dinner. What a perfect day! Then later in the night it poured again. How brilliant was that.
That kind of timing is straight from heaven. And now that the ground is a little damp I shall weed again today. Being Sunday, and as you know I don’t cook on a Sunday.
Have a lovely day. You can uncross your fingers now. I know how difficult it is to type with crossed fingers!!
celi
On this day a year ago.. a little walk down the back.
The Kitchen's Garden 
45 responses to “Make Sun then the Hay Shines”
Ok for a minute there I was wondering when TonTon learnt to use the camera 🙂 🙂 Yay for getting the hay in and the well timed rain afterwards. Laura
Hay and rain and in the right order! Perfect. 🙂
I’m so pleased for you that your hay is in! And that you have had some rain. I guess we’re going to learn about bailing hay soon. Have a great Sunday, Celi.
For a while there I wasn’t getting your post notifications sent to my email! I thought at first you might have been away, but after almost a week, I knew something was up. I went to the blog, and re signed up for the e-mail notifications, and yay it worked this morning! Love the picture of the dog 🙂
Now this is good news. You got the hay in AND a good rain afterward. That wind was something, wasn’t it? It knocked over the pot containing the best of the remaining San Marzano vines. I righted it during the storm and, frankly, haven’t been out yet this morning to see how damaged it is. I’ve a feeling it, too, might be destined for the dumpster and I just don’t want to deal with that yet. Great pic of Big Dog, by the way. And no matter what you’re doing, TonTon is never far from your side.
Today should be quite pleasant. I hope you enjoy it, Celi.
PERFECT!!!! Yipeeee! And YOU drove the tractor and the baler! Tension in the baler is a pain, but once you get if found and set you should never have to move it again. 40 bales in hard to grow conditions (HOT AND DRY) is good. Very good!
RAIN…wonderful, lovely, delightful rain! A joy for the soul of all living things!
Good job!!!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Well done getting it all in before the rain 😉
Yes Big Dog is charming. Do he and Ton Ton ever play together? And what are their histories?
You can have some of ours
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19137551
Yay – I´m connected and can read your wonderful post! What a great day for you, glad all went well 🙂
I really like that dog!
There isn’t anything more lovely than laying in bed while the rain smatters on the roof and windows! I think weather is shining down on your little parcel of land because of all the great works going on there!! xx Smidge
Hey look a picture of your other dog. TonTon’s such a camera hog, we hardly see this guy. Great photos.
yay for getting the hay in before the blessed rain arrived.
Oh how I love the look and smell of a hayfield…. yours looks lovely! We are surrounded by fields but alas mostly corn and soybeans. Not even an beautiful flowing oat field this year like the neighbor down the road had! Good luck with getting the hay put up–I know what work that is, and what an accomplishment it is when it’s all tucked away for the critters!
PS. we have been horse hunting again–hope to find just the right one for the farm here–
oh I will need hay!
I think you should buy your hay first, it is getting very expensive this year! c