Huge Nebraska Sandhills Haying Operation, circa 19

Here's a vintage shot of a big-time Nebraska ranch hay crew, putting up hay the old way with a wooden slide-stacker. Approximate year is '73. To keep this on topic for the 'puter police out there, notice yours truley on the shiny red IH 856. That thing was a beast, although only possessing two pedal-power(according to the Nebraska Tests). That's my next youngest brother Rob(today an unfortunate loss to the green camp) running the hay rake, and my youngest brother Mike(today showing he had the brains of the family-even though we tried our best to beat them out of him- working in the ag lending business). I think Mike was in charge of packing the stack in this particular shot. Credit for the construction of the slide stacker goes of course to my dad, Jim.

I did read a magazine article some years back about an adult scale haying operation in the sand hills. The article had lots of photos, so I can readily see what you and your brothers are up to. Always nice to know how it's done elsewhere in the world.

Nope, you werent! Here's a followup shot(actually a "prelude") to the one before. This is my dad Jim and my aunt Diane doing the same thing in August of '47....

AND...to keep this more on topic, and since I've obviously got into another album of old pics this evening, here's a shot of my dad in '42 on one of our F-20's.....notice the "armstrong" lift for the 7ft sickle-bar mower on the back of it. I still have these rims, unfortunately one front went through a fire(dont ask) and one of the rears has some rust holes...gonna put them on one of my '20s one of these days.

And one more for ya while the book's still open...this shows my dad and aunt on the Super A(I think its a Super, it has the hydraulics, and I'm positive of the date) in spring of '50 pulling the small fresno that my grandad's operating to dig the hole for the foundation of his new house. Notice it has the belt pulley on the back above the PTO...I still have that. Also, we still have the same barn that's shown in the background, although it's covered in tin now.