Some Excitement

Some excitement on the farm today...Lukie found a cute little snake in the hay mow when he was searching for the lost LL Bean wind-up flashlight.   On inspection it turned out to be a baby garter snake.  Wonder why it was in the bales which are very dry and not likely to sustain a baby anything for very long.  Sssshhhh!  Don't tell Mia!  Snakes don't last very long around here as chickens love to eat the hatchlings.  Nature is a cruel mistress.   I decided to take a ride down the road a bit and visit a woman who I was told might bale my upper field.  I've been buying fabulous hay from the Postma family but I'd like to get some hay from my own land. Lucky for me this wonderful lady, Julia Burger, will cut, round bale and wrap my hay.  Baleage happens when damp hay is wrapped in plastic and ferments.   Fermented hay  is more nutritious for the sheep.  An added benefit is that the grass does not need to be dry when baled.  Julia showed me some bales she and her sons make. They are gorgeous - big and tight.  Julia mows and bales for a lot of people around here, and does large fields of hay like nothing at all.  She gets it done.  Nothing is worse than having someone cut your hay and they don't come back.   I'm so happy she would take me on.  The sooner I get this first cut off, the sooner I get some sweet, green delicious second cut growing.