Hay Haulin' Day

I definitely hadn't planned on hauling hay today.  It was not one of the 15 things I'd written down in my planner to accomplish today.  And, when John left for the bank this morning, he had no idea it was how we'd spend a few hours of our day.  But, when the guy who's got square bales stops in and says he's got our 50 bales out in the field if we can come get them today, it suddenly becomes Hay Haulin' Day!

In his white pin-striped button-down, is he maybe the best-dressed hay hauler ever? 

Little Boy ate his lunch in the backseat as I slowly drove the truck through the field as John stacked the bales on the trailer.

He hates having his photo taken, so I'm sure he's gonna love this post.  ;)

All loaded up and ready to head home.

The rain started as we drove home, so we got to move it all into the shed in the rain.  At least we were able to pull the truck into the yard and get it pretty close to the shed now that we've redone the fencing to allow for a truck to fit through. 

We've got 47 bales stacked in the shed and 3 ready for use in the milking room.

Now, I know that folks around these parts haul hay all the time, but this was a first for this girl!

Here are some of my observations from my first experience:

1.  There's a reason farmers are always wearing jeans.  I was in running shorts when I got the call that it was Hay Day.  Shorts were fine as I drove the truck.  Shorts were not fine as I unloaded and carried my first couple of bales into the shed.  I ran in and changed after about 3 bales, but the damage had already been done.  My thighs are still burning!

2.  Though they're all roughly the same size, some bales are significantly heavier than others.  This surprised me.  John would save the "light" ones for me to carry. 

3.  The "light" ones, though, didn't seem so light to me!  I guess I'm a wimp.  I can run quite a distance in a respectable time without getting cramped up, but I've never, I repeat, never, had any kind of upper-body strength.  I'm sure that watching me carry the bales and then attempt to heave them up onto the stack in the shed was comical. 

4.  I have a great husband.  This isn't a new realization, but I'm just appreciating it in a new way.  As silly as I must have looked, he never laughed at me.  And as little help as I probably was with my wimpy little arms, he still acted like he couldn't have done it without me. 

:)