Every Friday for the past three weeks, I have hauled my horse trailer to Belen and picked up a load of hay. I came to know every stinkin’ bale personally, through the loading, the unloading and the stacking. Bucking hay is not my favorite activity, though I must admit to becoming quite proficient at it. After this last load, I was able to skip the ibuprofen I was planning to eat for dinner.
The hay barn is now full. Amen. I couldn’t squeeze in one more bale if I tried.
As I closed the tarps across the front of the stack, I figured Deets would be very angry, since I hadn’t left any space on top of the bales for him to sleep.
I needn’t have worried.
With
hay checked off my list, I can move on to the next adventure...firewood. Can't wait.
Look at Deets!
ReplyDeleteFunny re: firewood - husband spent most of the day getting two huge oaks from the neighbors. They had them cut down this week and offered them to us for firewood.
I suspect based on the way he's walking that he could use some ibuprofen!
Man. A women's work is never done....Firewood, I hope you find a nice strong man to cut, split and stack that wood. What a J-O-B.
ReplyDeleteLove your kitty looking out from the tarp. Very cute.
Boy! I wish I had my winter hay in......however, this place isn't big enough to hold my winter hay.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chuckle! Such a cute picture of Deets!!!
ReplyDeleteThat Deets. What a hoot. You are such a hard working lady. I am so glad we don't have hay to deal with. I have had two back surgeries and I couldn't handle all that lifting. Been there and done that and I hope to not go back there. However, we are waiting on our firewood as well. It should be here soon and then we will spend a few weekends splitting and stacking. I hear ibuprofen calling my name already.
ReplyDeleteWhen we had our farm I remember being a little 'on edge' til the hay was in and stacked, but ooooh what a job! Firewood was also a biggie that we worked on almost year round so as to have a good reserve.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great photo! Thanks for the laugh this morning, Linda. I needed that.
ReplyDeleteI moved 8, count 'em, 8 whole big bales of hay, all by myself yesterday. That was enough for me! :oÞ Well done!
Hi there, I've come via the mighty Black Box, all the way from Exmoor in England. Don't you just love that thing? Am having a great time meeting your animals and generally heaving a big envious sigh of wonder that you did what you did..... I have always had a yearning for ranch life ever since I hung out with some cowboys in the panhandle of Texas (long time back!).....one day....
ReplyDeleteWow - congrats on a job well done...you must feel so good to have this task behind you...not just because the work is done, but because it just feels dang good to have all your animal friends' food all lined up and in place, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a forklift or something to lift all those bales up on top? Or does Deets lend a helpful paw? lol
Aw, Deets is SO cute!
ReplyDeleteFirewood...we do firewood, too. There is something so satisfying about stacking it and seeing it sitting there and thinking "I stacked that and it is going to keep us warm this winter!"
First to paint the fireplace room...
Cheryl in IN.
Pat in east TN, I've been on edge all summer because of this hay situation. I am so relieved that barn is full, I can't begin to tell you.
ReplyDeleteExmoorjane, welcome to the 7MSN. I'm finding all sorts of new blogs from the Black Box widget - can't wait to go check yours out.
Danni, forklift? Hahahahahahahah! You're too funny! Those bales got to the top of the stack with girlpower only. I build tiers with the bales and stand on them to get to the top.
There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction from all the hard labor...I find myself standing out there, staring at it in wonder...wondering how in the heck I'm gonna get this done when I get old...er.
Hurray you're done with that!! Whew. Your hay is very yellow down there. Is it alphafa or do you grow something different down there? NOW can we go play with George & Alan?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - aka the George and Alan fan - that yellow hay you see is just that way from the sun - the tarp doesn't quite stretch to the edge. I caught the burros wrestling under a rainbow the other night - will post those pictures soon, not to worry.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great feeling, to be stocked w/hay! How heavy are those bales?
ReplyDeleteI can only buy small amounts at a time, as I share minimal storage with my sister at her place and they, of course, have the right to stock up on their own. So I buy in 8-10 bales chunks. I buy different hay for My Boy right now, too. He's on a more expensive orchard grass hay. Not sure why I do that, I guess the bales are bigger so I figure more for your money.
Pony girl, these bales are a fescue/timothy mix - though if there's more than 5% timothy I'd be shocked. They average about 50 pounds and were $8 a piece, which is a total rip-off. Last year's hay, a beautiful teff grass, averaged 65#, cost $6 per bale and that included delivery! But grass is hard to grow in NM so most farmers grow alfalfa instead. It's the old supply and demand thing.
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