Hay. The best air freshener of all.
I had to turn the field twice to accelerate the drying because of all the rain in the forecast. And Jen and I went back out and gently spread out the bigger clumps by hand so it all dried evenly.Which as usual made my skin erupt in welts and itchy red spots, even though every part of my body was covered, due to my allergy to hay. ( It subsides after a few itchy hours but is a little irritating to be a farmer allergic to grass). But we got the hay in by late evening and it is beautiful hay. Fragrant and dry and not too heavy at all.
And last night we were so tired after loading the first trailer full into the barn that after eating a simple dinner of pasta, asparagus and cream with a quick salad from the garden we all left the dishes in the sink and went straight to bed. No reading, (Fede reads aloud to me every night to prepare for the oral portion of his English exam on the 12th) no writing, no last wander around the sleeping grounds, I did not even download my pictures. Just straight to bed.
Later today, after we have finished unloading the next trailer load of hay (Berit is coming down from Chicago to help) we will attend to all those details.
We had Jen (the part time guest worker) helping yesterday too – she picked chamomile flowers for the oil). I will begin today’s work while you read. Only a little late!
And because the rain that was threatened has been taken right out of the forecast now we will begin watering today.
Have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
41 responses to “Hay In The Barn”
I love to leave the house orderly at night, but sometimes, when you’re physically weary and your eyelids are drooping, and your tum is full of good food and your nose full of the scent of new hay, a person just has to go quietly and peacefully to bed and ignore the dishes. I hope you slept well, Miss C, you and all your household from the greatest to the smallest. Well done on the baling, and if you think of it, do show what you do with the camomile?
Hay is definitely the best air freshener. I admire your dedication hand turning, especially when it has such an effect. Hope you’re going to photograph the camomile flower oil processing.
Love your header pic Miss C! ❤
And poor TonTon! He looks like my Jack when he gats bathed haha Hope it wasn't due to being skunked!
*gets o.O haha
The sweet sweet smell of hay in the loft !!
That wagon full of bales of hay is a really beautiful sight. I can almost smell the scent of freshly cut hay from the photo and it is reminiscent of early-summer drives in the country where you throw open the car windows and invite the outside in — as opposed to early-spring drives when, even with the windows up tight, the odor of freshly spread manure nearly chokes you… lol Sorry about the allergy — if you were to take an antihistamine before exposing yourself, would that be of any help?
Perhaps one day when you are not so overloaded with work, you can explain to me/us your two water hydrants in the front garden. I have often seen one creep into a photo and wondered why it was there on the farm but today I see two and the curiosity is almost more than I can bear.
And I suspect Ton looks as he does, getting his paws cleaned, is because that water will be ice cold!
Your photos, as usual, are spectacular and, with your commentary, almost transport me to the farmy! Thank you! Hope your day is a great one. ~ Mame 🙂
Nothing beats the smell of freshly-mown alfalfa and baled hay. That trailer stacked with bales brings back so many memories for me.
Hay looks and smells so good, but it is a dusty and dirty job , I remember it so well. Once the hay bales are in the barn , do you have to stack them by hand ?
we have the clatter box (escalator) to get them up to the loft then – yes – by hand but these ones are not too heavy.. well not too too heavy!
Sometimes days where I’m too tired to do anything more than eat and go to bed are the ones that leave me feeling the most productive.
Those bales of hay are a testament to such hard hard work! Amazing really. Oh TonTon! A heart-breaking photo, but baths are a must. I too worried the water is so cold. I saved the picture of him cooling off in a big tub of water but that had to be a warm humid day–and the water probably sun kissed.
Now here is a really stupid question: how does the hay get formed into those bales? Is it done by a baler? What does a baler looklike. I’d love a tutorial on farm machinery with pictures of course.
GREAT POST!!!
Yes, why doesn’t someone bottle the scent of freshly mown hay for an air freshener…or even perfume? I would wear it! 🙂 I can see by the look of Ton’s face that he doesn’t particularly like his baths! Too funny! I bet he takes off like a shot when he’s all done. We hooked up our hose to a laundry sink in the garage so the water would be warm…That seemed to please the canines in the family around here much better! Now they only half snarl at us when it’s bath time!
Wonderful about the hay – bravo!
I was almost expecting you to say you slept in the barn, but the dust would not have settled by then. Glad the hay was baled and saved! I hope today is going as you would like it to.
Oh, my…you had a BATH! Mom says I’m getting a bath soon. HORRORS! I only liked to if Fuzzy was with me.
Boomer
Linda
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