First Hay of 2012

The hay at Polecat Creek Farm is baled! It didn't rain, even though rain was in the forecast and some ominous clouds piled up.

This is how the hay looked after it was cut last Friday.

Yesterday, it had cured nicely in the point field. . . 

. . . and the side field.

This morning, the point field was ready to rake.

Beside the point field, chicory bloomed.

My husband took his tractor and rake down the road to the farm. I followed along and brought him back to get his truck. Back home, I couldn't help noticing how the clouds were piling up over the house. And it was humid. Not a good sign for hay-making.

But the rain never came, a light breeze blew, and John got all four fields raked. While John raked, his partner Bobby came with his haybine and started baling. Here's a distant shot of some of the bales in the big field . . .

 . . . and some of the 15 bales in the point field . . .

. . . and bales in the side field.

Bobby was in the home stretch of baling what John had raked in the back field. 

See how thick the raked hay is?

Back home, John's tractor rests in the front yard. Some of the Polecat Creek Farm hay still clings to it.

Polecat Creek Farm produced a total of 58 bales this spring. Even after Bobby takes his share, we'll have enough from this cutting to feed Melody for a year.

Now we have two more farms to go.

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