Haybaling

The brilliant recent weather has resulted in all the local farmers firing up their tractors and cutting the tall grasses in their numerous fields. Then the grass is left for a couple of days to dry in the sun before being thrashed into tidy rows. After that the grass is scooped up by giant trailers which spin the stuff around, wrap it entirely in plastic sheeting or bandage it in thin plastic mesh, before belching it out as haybales that currently litter the countryside. The plastic wrapped bales are then left outdoors in readiness as winter cattle feed while the thinly bandaged bales are trailered off to be stored in barns. It's a busy time of year for the farmers who start work at sunrise (about 5am) and knock off exhausted at sunset (about 10pm) with barely a break for lunch.

With the grass cut in Christian's back field we were once again able to walk Jock up to the top of the back hill to admire the view. Went up there last evening and took a few snaps before returning home where I had a cool gin'n'tonic while Georgie did a spot of raking (she loves gardening, I hasten to add). Was about to load the snaps when I noticed the local farmer and his two sons haybaling in the field opposite across the valley. Took a quick telephoto snap (hand held) from the upstairs window. Seems to have come out okay so I've added it at the end. But..., just as they finished it clouded over and it now seems a bit thundery. Hope it doesn't rain or all those bales could get a bit damp. Fingers crossed it stays dry.

P.S. - An hour later hailstones the size of marbles followed by torrential rain resulted in the lads feverishly loading bales onto their trailers and carting them off to sheltered barns.

P.P.S. - Another hour later the sun came out again and all ended well.