It’s time for itchy eyes, ears and throats. Time for burning diesel and driving tractors. Time for all hands on deck.
We grow pasture hay, for our animals. In a year like this; as wet as it’s been, the pastures have gone ballistic! We’ve had clover/ryegrass pastures half way between our ankle and knee! Can’t remember the last time that happened. (Usually we’re bemoaning the fact we haven’t had our finishing rains and we’re worried if we’re going to get any hay at all.
Have any of you read the story by Enid Blyton, “Six Cousins on Mistletoe Farm? It’s one of my favourite Enid Blyton books. Enid writes about three cousins coming to stay at the farm. These kids are ‘townies’ and haven’t had anything to do with animals or farming at all. Back when Enid was writing her books, the English used to make hay by hand tossing it. My guess it that was back breaking work for all the men involved, not quite the fun Enid made the kids out to have! 
Hayden is a mad keen Enid Blyton fan too and we’ve just finished reading this book. He wanted to try his hand at tossing hay.
It was pretty windy when we tried. (We didn’t tell the boss. He’s usually not that happy if a wind storm goes through and shifts his rows. Hayden can be more than a wind storm at times!)
I’ve always wondered what ‘having a good roll in the hay’ (raised eyebrows here) would be like. Itchy I’m sure. And I did have an idea about putting my characters Laura and the bloke she ends up with, in the middle of some mown hay, but they liked it even less than me, so I’ll save that for another book!
I suffer from hay fever very badly, so a quick ‘flop’ in the hay for a photo, is about all you’ll get me to do. Now, it’s back home for the hay fever tablets so I can get on the rake and put two of these rows into one, so we can get on with baling in the next couple of day.
Excuse me while I rush for the tissues!
Do you suffer from hay fever? What’s your best remedy?
Very nice picture of your on grass that remember my boy hood .
Thank you.