Most years, the old-time farmers would be seeing someone cutting their hay in June and figure they had lost their minds. After all, it's downright crazy to be cutting hay in North Idaho before the Fourth of July.
Well, in 2015, my neighbor across the road was mowing his first field at least two weeks ago. His fields in this neighborhood have been cleared. Hay is in the barn.
Slowly but surely, more equipment started showing up in the farm fields around the county, and it looks like most farmers will have their hay in the barn long before the Fourth of July.
And, nobody's calling them crazy.
Last night while out for a bike ride, I pedaled past a couple of fields with hay down and with some hay being loaded on trucks. The extended Wood/Russell family were teaming up to load the big round bales and take them to a storage place.
As one pickup pulling a trailer departed from the field and rolled closer to me and my bike, I saw a familiar face----one I've known most of my life: Jim Wood.
Jim's association with our family dates back to the 1940s when he attended the Gold Creek one-room school house where our grandmother Iva Tibbs taught.
Jim has often remarked about how he looked up to our dad Harold who was often there at the school (after breaking his leg in a logging accident) helping out.
We've known Wood family members forever, it seems. I can remember the year I took my horse Tiny on the Competitive Trail Ride up at the Wood's Gold Creek Ranch back in the 1970s. She wasn't quite in the proper condition for the ride, and we quit halfway in her best interest.
I can remember Jim lending me some encouragement that day, which was definitely disappointing.
With all the memories of the past, it was fun to see Jim pulling out of that field and chat with him briefly. He told me the hay would be used for sileage and that, overall, the fields are down in yield this year.
Even though it's early, haying stories are entering the general conversation. Yesterday I enjoyed participating in the Facebook exchange below, initiated by my friend Gail Sherwood Curless from Dover.
Folks who've worked in the hay at any time definitely share a common bond.
Enjoy. . .
20 hrs ·
Well, in 2015, my neighbor across the road was mowing his first field at least two weeks ago. His fields in this neighborhood have been cleared. Hay is in the barn.
Slowly but surely, more equipment started showing up in the farm fields around the county, and it looks like most farmers will have their hay in the barn long before the Fourth of July.
And, nobody's calling them crazy.
Last night while out for a bike ride, I pedaled past a couple of fields with hay down and with some hay being loaded on trucks. The extended Wood/Russell family were teaming up to load the big round bales and take them to a storage place.
As one pickup pulling a trailer departed from the field and rolled closer to me and my bike, I saw a familiar face----one I've known most of my life: Jim Wood.
Jim's association with our family dates back to the 1940s when he attended the Gold Creek one-room school house where our grandmother Iva Tibbs taught.
Jim has often remarked about how he looked up to our dad Harold who was often there at the school (after breaking his leg in a logging accident) helping out.
We've known Wood family members forever, it seems. I can remember the year I took my horse Tiny on the Competitive Trail Ride up at the Wood's Gold Creek Ranch back in the 1970s. She wasn't quite in the proper condition for the ride, and we quit halfway in her best interest.
I can remember Jim lending me some encouragement that day, which was definitely disappointing.
With all the memories of the past, it was fun to see Jim pulling out of that field and chat with him briefly. He told me the hay would be used for sileage and that, overall, the fields are down in yield this year.
Even though it's early, haying stories are entering the general conversation. Yesterday I enjoyed participating in the Facebook exchange below, initiated by my friend Gail Sherwood Curless from Dover.
Folks who've worked in the hay at any time definitely share a common bond.
Enjoy. . .
20 hrs ·
Gail Curless: Thoughts
from a farmer. 1st, 58 years ago I started my haying career with a
brand new side delivery rake in the same field I swathed yesterday. Of
course somebody else owns the ground now. The ground doesn't care who
owns it.
2nd, Clover hay is fun to cut. 3rd, People shouldn't be allowed to put ditches that serve no purpose, in the middle of hayfields.
Finally, a bare piece of ground is heaven to mama Kildeer!
2nd, Clover hay is fun to cut. 3rd, People shouldn't be allowed to put ditches that serve no purpose, in the middle of hayfields.
Finally, a bare piece of ground is heaven to mama Kildeer!
Gail Curless It
has been so hot and dry, the hay just couldn't grow. Last winter with
no snow and all of the freezing and thawing killed a lot of the good
hay. Didn't hurt the weeds though!
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