Straw bales!

It's that time of the year again!  Love late summer and going into fall when we get the combining done, and bale straw; when evenings cool off a little and days are still warm.   Preparing for another year with oats in the bin to be used this next season to mix with the peas and minerals, grinding up for hog feed each week.  We still had some oats in the bin, and the corn bin will be almost empty by the time the corn is ready.  Wish we'd get a little more rain.  Our yield on the corn is hurting now, with the cobs just not filling up well because of the heat and no rain.  Maybe we'll get some rain this weekend.

Last evening granddaughter Amanda and fiancee TJ, son-in-law Steven were here to bale hay.  Amanda and TJ are getting married in August 2013 and will be having an outdoor wedding.  She wants straw bales for everyone to sit on.  So they did the work.  Hubby Steve drove tractor.   After the straw was baled, Steve and Leah took it to their place to keep in the barn for the wedding.   Spose we could have waited until next year to bale it, but the wedding is in early August, so that brings it pretty close to their date, and they don't need to have that to worry about doing, so close to the wedding date.

 These pictures brings back memories of all us, our three girls, out there helping bale hay and straw to feed their horses and straw for bedding for them.  It was always fun, and of course as our girls got older and the boys were hanging around, there was extra help.  No one ever complained - it was expected that they helped and with everyone working together, and a big meal afterwards we all had a good time.  Ended up dusty and dirty, but a good bath cleaned you up just fine.  Always sat around and visited afterwards, just as we did last night.  We ended the evening with yummy pork burgers and fresh corn on the cob!  TJ had a bottomless pit - counted 3 pork burgers and several corn on the cob!!!  Oh to be young and to be able to eat as much as you want!   Love cooking when food is enjoyed!

Just starting out!

They each took turns - filled two hay racks, and then the rest of the straw will be make into the big round bales.

Of course, you can't bale straw without the twine breaking a few times!!!!   Look at the bird in the sky in this picture.  There were hundreds of black bird or crows in our row of trees and they scared them out.   Next picture shows "some" of them.  They've been getting fat on the oats that were on the ground and before combining.

Makes for a weird picture.  With all the different flying patterns!

Odda waits patiently for me and always by my side when I'm outside.  We've let her in the house many days this summer because of the heat.  She had hot spots, and I had to cut her hair around those spots, so they'd heal up.  Now the hair is coming back, and we've been keeping her cool, and she was on some meds also so she would leave the sores alone.  They itched so bad, that she was constantly biting and chewing at them.  I felt so bad for her - but now she is doing good.

Here's our pup Putzer!  He is now about 6 months old.  Still pesters Odda all the time, that's why I can't seem to get a good picture of them together just sitting.  That doesn't seem to happen.  Putz is always wanting to play. 

Thanks for stopping by, and hope you're having a good week. 
JoLynn