found it - the last bale

Finished up the last field of hay today. Wife ended up driving, I did the stacking. Son unloaded onto conveyor, and I stacked again in the barn. At least it's all under cover, safe from the elements. Pile is pretty high this year, should be good for the feeding season, until next year's hay comes in. Waiting to spring to see if I have a surplus I want to think about selling - with the poor haying season around here, there will probably be some eager, despirate, buyers.

Lost one field to weeds, and rain, both first and second cutting. Other fields were difficult, and more than one got rained on, or took longer to dry then it should have. Add to that, a knotter that wouldn't behave. Took me monkeying and finally rebuilding to get that under control. Then something bent the arm that runs the twine fingers, had to bend it back, and lots of adjusting to get on track. Clicked them off well except for a couple knots on today's load, and was able to retie them in the baler before they came out of the chute. Blaming those failures on poor twine - thinking of changing suppliers next season.

All in all, a long frustrating season, but finally over, and in the barn. Cleanup of equipment remains - maybe start tomorrow.

Tonite I'm tired!

It's always a good feeling to be done in the fall, we baled the last one yesterday. Another adventure this year, way too wet June and July, then dry, dry, dry, Only got two cuttings this year, just enough to fill orders for the regulars, we sell it all to the horse market in small squares. Getting calls every day, wish I had another 10 thousand, could sell every one. Today I chopped some low ground canary that was too wet to get into the last 3 years, will sell it for covering hay and reclaim it for next year if it stays on the dry side. By Christmas or so I'm ready to go again for next year. Winter is way too long here.

Some things you could set your watch by- one of them was my dad saying "There's the one we been lookin' for" as we threw the last bale off the last load.

When my kids were about 8, 10 and 14, we found that bale just as it started sprinkling, and was raining by the time we got to the house. Probably 11 in the morning, I was so pleased we got it in dry that I decided we'd take everybody out for lunch, they got to pick. Heads together for a bit, a little giggling, they come out smiling, and daughter says "Space Needle".

You're probably familiar with that- 600 foot tower in Seattle with ritzy revolving restaurant, built for the '62 Worlds Fair. 90 miles away. But I'm a man of my word, so they got dressed up a little, and off we went.

Problem was, the rain we were getting was the first in about 6 weeks, and highway was slick as glass. The hour and a half trip took almost 4 hours- many accidents along the way. But everybody remained in good spirits (oldest son was great at maintaining morale among the troops)- had a great meal, got home about bed time, memorable time had by all.

Been done with hay UP here since early August. Been getting the last bit of hay delivered to its buyers the last week or so, and moving my hay to the winter feed lot.

Only been done a month and I'm ready to do it again next year, and am always looking for more hay ground to rent.... haha my other half thinks I'm crazy.

This year will be about the earliest one ever for finishing. I still got a month to go yet. Just finshed native grass hay. Have some alfalfa yet to cut. Millet straw after that. Then comes cornstalks.

Most years the baler is out until December.