Make Hay While the
Sun Shines
I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “make hay while the
sun shines.” A simple saying, really, meaning to get your work done while it’s
daylight, before time runs out, or while things are going good. But, literally,
there’s more to it than that. I grew up hearing this saying. I’ve lived it. So, let me explain how to make
hay while the sun shines from a Mississippi farm girl’s perspective.
There is a short window of time when grass is ready to cut,
and the weather plays a huge role in how long that window lasts. Btw, we never
actually say we’re going to go cut the grass. We say we’re going to cut hay.
Cutting grass is just mowing the yard. Just sayin’
So, my modern-day cowboy has to keep one eye on the hayfield
and one on the weather. He uses weatherchannel.com to track one, two, three,
five day forecasts. Sure, meteorologists miss the forecast on occasion, but
having those reports is better than what my daddy and his daddy had to work
with. Next, my cowboy goes to the local watering-hole and talks to the men
there. They all have an opinion about how much rain to expect, when, and how
long it might last. He takes their opinions to heart because some of those men
have been baling hay for a long, long time.
Once he’s made up his mind to cut hay, he goes at it with a
vengeance. He sharpens the blades on the hay mower, makes sure it’s greased up,
fires up the John Deere and away he goes. He can cut hay day or night. Doesn’t
matter if the dew has fallen or not. So, he might cut hay into the wee hours,
or get up really early and start a field. He has been known to enlist one of
our sons or a neighbor and run two mowers at once.
Once the hay is cut, the sun dries—or cures—it. This
generally takes 36-48 hours, depending on how thick the hay is. About half-way
through this process, it’s time to fluff
the hay. When I was a teen, I rarely remember us fluffing hay unless it was
extremely thick. Now, we almost always fluff it just to speed up the process.
There is a special piece of equipment called a hay fluffer. Basically, the
fluffer stirs the hay, turning it upside down, and letting the sun dry the hay
that has been on the bottom.
There comes a point when the hay is just right for baling:
not too green, and not to dry. And you hope it gets to this point without a
storm rolling in while the hay is on the ground. If it rains between cutting
and baling, you have to let the sun dry the hay, fluff it again, dry some more,
then rake and bale. But there’s only so much of this fluffing/drying/raking
cycle the hay can take before it looses most of its nutritious value.
The hay has been cut, it’s been fluffed, the sweet scent
fills the air, and a storm’s a brewing! Yikes! But wait, you can’t just jump up
at daylight and bale hay. Not in Mississippi. You have to wait until the sun
burns the dew off the hay. So, we’re chomping at the bit waiting for
mid-to-late morning, hoping to beat the rain.
Two tractors hit the field, one pulling a double-sided
contraption that rakes the hay into windrows, the other pulling a big round hay
baler. It can take half a day to bale a forty acre field, but it’s a wonderful
feeling to finish up before that first big, fat raindrop falls!
~
Pam is thrilled to announce the release of her second novel,
Claiming Mariah
Click cover to visit Amazon page. Also available at B&N
To celebrate, Pam is giving away two eReaders
(choice of Kindle Wi-Fi,
6" Display, or Nook Simple Touch)
Two Winners: One on facebook. One through
Pam’s Newsletter.
Registering both places is not required but
will double your chances of winning. Also keep in mind that you will receive
updates more often being connected on facebook than through the newsletter.
Just sayin’
Contest runs from January 1st until March 31st, 2013.
And....that’s
not all! There will be prizes offered randomly throughout the tour.
(3
Pewter Bookmarks from Deirdre’s Handmade Jewelry PLUS 40% off coupon at
Deirdre’s online store. Click link to register and for coupon code)
PREVIOUS STOP ON TOUR:
February 26th: Laura Hilton
NEXT STOPS ON TOUR:
February 28th: Tina Pinson and Johnny Donley
Ginger, thanks for having me today. I just re-read my post, and I am positive the scent of fresh-cut grass drying in the sun washed over me.
ReplyDeleteLove that smell! :)
Love your post and look forward to reading the book.
ReplyDelete