Sunday, August 12, 2012

I attempt to bale alfalfa and contemplate another trip to cooler climes

It is going to be hot today. Yesterday we baled annual ryegrass straw and I attempted to bale alfalfa. I say attempted because even though it has been on the ground for almost a week and has been fluffed up every day, it is still not dry.
I double raked it yesterday morning as I was a little worried that you could still strip back the stems on quite a bit of it and I was worried I would miss my baling window between all the leaves shattering off and 24 percent moisture content Saturday evening and I was not going to skip church to bale 10 acres of alfalfa at 11 a.m. Sunday morning.
I was correct.
I went to check on the field right at dark and it was already too wet. I should have figured out the humidity was high due to the volume of water pouring out of the air conditioner on the stacker but yesterday was warm with a wind out of the North East and that means dry air is pouring back into the valley from east of the mountains and it will be hot and dry.
If I would have gone at 8 p.m. I probably could have baled.
I put the hay into big fluffy windrows and I'm hoping it will not bleach out too much. We have been having heavy dew every night.
I am supposed to make another trip to the coast. My wife's family has rented a cabin and I am supposed to go out there after church today.
I am so tired that the idea of driving by myself for a hour there and an hour back does not really sound that appealing, but then again 92 degrees with no breeze and high humidity here is not that appealing either. I actually would rather just be running the stacker. It has good a/c.
I was going to stay home and go to the river with the nephews but watching my helper and his friends drink themselves into a funk is not sounding that great. If my daughter was home I would fix our big inner tube and float down the river.
At least it will be cool at the beach. At 4 p.m. the fog rolls in like a river. I like that...
Perhaps I will bale the alfalfa Monday morning. The center of the windrows should still be nice and green. (I hope)
All this vacation time may make me a Lazy Farmer...

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