Round Bale Madness

My dairy farmer neighbor offered me some 2nd cut round bales, 11 of them, for a good price. I said sure thing, since he would deliver them, and hay is on my mind - what else? I paid him last week and have been waiting for delivery. As I've been driving back and forth I noticed a wagon of round bales in his field across the road from the barn. Looked like it might be 11 bales. Oh, crapola, I thought. They are not in the barn, and are exposed to the rain and weather. Now dairy farmers don't have to worry as much as shepherds about the quality of the hay they feed their animals. I know, I know, but what about the milk? You should see what some people feed their cows...nasty, moldy, horrible hay. These bales are not nasty, but I don't want them rained on any more than they already are. I called my neighbor who told me he does not have a tarp and won't be able to deliver them until next week. With a storm blowing in as we were speaking I was getting more disappointed by the minute. Matt came dragging from work, tired, achey and shivering. Oh, no, Swine Flu, I thought. Not yet, but he doesn't look good. Did he have enough strength to help me get a tarp on the round bales? He said he would try. Meanwhile, the wind had really whipped up with some rain, too. I held the flashlight and handed him bungee cords while he tried to pull the huge tarp over the round bales. He looked like Alan Bates trying to save the hay crop while the drunken hired hands and farm owners partied the night away in Far From the Madding Crowd! The bales were much bigger and the tarp smaller than I thought, but I think we saved the three on top from being soaked with water. Matt went straight to bed and I did the rest of the chores. I am fighting to stay awake to hear Jay Leno's monologue then I'll hit the hay, so to speak. I pray tomorrow morning is not nearly as exciting.