2008 Second Cutting

Our second cutting came in the middle of July this year, a bit later then usual due to so much rain. We round baled it all this time. We pay a guy to cut, tedder and bale it and then we use the truck, flatbed trailer and tractor to pick it up out of the field and put it in the barn. Ted finally taught me to drive the tractor so I could give him a break from the heat.
(The truck is air conditioned, the tractor isn't!)

It goes like this. Ted uses the tractor to pick up 5 bales and load them on the trailer. Then he grabs another bale and we both drive up to the barn. He unloads all the bales onto the ground in rows. Then we switch vehicles and I drive the tractor down to the field while Ted drives the truck. Then we switch vehicles again and start over. It took 17 trips and about 8 hours. We did this ALL DAY! The next day, Ted's dad put them all into the barn, all 103 of them!

ClaireAnna rode on her Dad's lap some and when she was hot, kept us company in the truck. Ted says he'll have her driving the tractor by the time she's ten. Once there were enough bales in rows, ClaireAnna had the best time jumping from bale to bale and even got Mom and Dad up there to run with her. ( Sorry, no picture of that!)