Hauling Hay

 It has been a few years since I have helped my parents haul hay, but with my brother in crutches, I thought it would be good to help.  

Apparently one person on crutches means a large number of people are needed to help. 

 The whole pivot corner started out as rows of cut hay. 

 Then the tractor drives up and down the rows to make bales. 

 This part of the machine picks up the cut hay. 

 Then it comes out of the other end as a square bail. 

 You are left with a field full of square bails.  I think there were around 400 of these bails that were hauled in 3 hours that day

 Grandpa backed the truck up. 

 Mom helped to throw bails in the truck, along with myself and 4 high school/college boys. 

 Mike and Dad stacked the bails in the truck. 

 After the truck was full, we started filling the trailer behind the tractor. 

 This was easier because you don't have to throw the bails as high onto the trailer. 

 After all that stacking, Mike decided to take a ride. 

 Then you have to unload all of the bails and stack them in the barn.  Notice several people are wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts, which may seem weird on a hot summer day, but this is normal hay hauling attire. So you don't scratch your arms and legs while lifting the bails. 

 Kellen was on tractor driving duty due to his cast.

 It was so great to have these guys helping us, it made it so much easier and quicker to load and unload. 

 As you stack the bails, you have to sprinkle salt over the bails to keep them from catching on fire or molding if they are still a little wet. 

 We had so much extra help that a few people got to sit and relax while the others were working. 

 Then it was snack time.

 Everyone was hungry. Unfortunately we still had 100 bails left at the field that we had to load and unload after lunch.

All in all it was a good little walk down memory lane.