The downside to hay making is being at the mercy of the weather. In general, when it comes to crop farming, that is normal. Will it stay dry long enough to get the crop in?? Will it rain now that the seeds are in the ground? Will it quit raining long enough to harvest the crop? I know that all those thoughts go through the mind of a farmer on a regular basis.
This past weekend after checking the the alfalfa, and consulting the weather forecast, it was decided that there should be enough warm weather, wind and sun to dry the crop and get it baled. So the hay was cut on Saturday. I spent most of Sunday afternoon on the tractor, first raking up the hay to get it off the ground and then using the tedder to throw the crop back out. The sun was shining bright and the wind was blowing. Just what you need for drying hay.
Monday morning came and it was overcast....and there wasn't much wind. In addition, sometime over the weekend, the weather forecast had changed and the rain that was suppose to come on Wednesday had been moved ahead a day. Our window to get this hay made was pretty small. On orders from the boss, I waited until mid afternoon to rake the hay back up into windrows. The sun danced in and out of the clouds all afternoon and the wind never picked up much.
Hubby and his dad headed to the hay field about 5:30 in the afternoon, expecting that it wouldn't make, but still wanting to give it a try. Their suspicions were confirmed as the first bale came out of the baler. Way to wet to make. There is a section in the field that is all grass. They headed there hoping maybe that would be ready.....it wasn't.
Overnight, the rains began to fall and a waiting game begins. When will there be enough dry days in a row to finish drying the hay so we can get it up? Back to watching the Weather Channel.
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