Farmer's Work

After Steve and Jim and several of Jim’s boys spent most of the day working on the bale wagon, they finally fixed it without any new parts. (The needed ones weren’t available on a Saturday.) The key seemed to be getting a chain that kept working itself off to stay in place. It wasn't easy, but the farmer/engineers and one creative doc managed the feat.
At last, we’re done. 4.5 tons are stacked in the hay yard, which ought to be all we need for a year.
We didn’t finish until 5PM. Unfortunately, that was too late (and we were too dirty and wiped out) to make it to Vernal for Gary and Loran’s party, so I gave half of the rum cake I had made for the pot luck to the neighbors. After dinner and a break, Steve went out again to help Jim and Caleb finish getting in the 900 bales they still had in their fields. It’s nearly dark and they're still working. I think Steve is enjoying hanging out with 7 year old Caleb.
Farming is hard work. Most of the time it’s fun, though, being outside, smelling the fresh cut hay, kicking those diesel machines when they don’t behave, and generally soaking in that good old country horse/cow manure… er, atmosphere.