Cutting Hay

This time of year every where you look someone is cutting or baling hay.  Everyone gets into the act—kids barely old enough to reach the gas pedal are driving the hay truck out into the pasture and retrieving bales.  It’s all about the timing here in Montana too—most folks up our way get two cuttings of hay but only if they get the first crop cut, baled and out of the fields so they can start irrigating the second crop.

 Our neighbor started cutting this field yesterday, it is a huge field and will take three days of cutting before it’s finished.

Rick left this comment last night, “Sure hope Michael takes it easy with those hay bales and doesn't injure himself.”  Rick, we don’t pick up hale bales—Michael said he got smart a long time ago and started making round bales instead of those small square things you have to hand move!  Here is a photo of our old, old John Deere tractor which starts right up every year after sitting all winter:and the round baler.

Here is a photo of our hay truck—when we had cows we also fed bales using this hydraulic operated bale bed:

 

 

All we have to do is sit inside the truck and push buttons—too bad it isn’t air conditioned!!!

Another scorcher today, 94 degrees at 11am.  A “cold” front is to move through the state this evening and cool things off just a little, highs of mid 80’s tomorrow.