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whoopee the hays in the tribune thursday august 2 1973 11 by madeline harrison locust hill its that time of year when we here on the farm can breathe a sigh of relief the hays in for most farmers there are two high points in the crop season 1 when the hay is in the loft and 2 when the last load of grain is dumped in the bins or trucked off to wilsons at whitevale i between these times however the worry results in a rash of chewed fingernails or bald patches on the dome for its the weather its either too wet or too dry the other day the oldtimer that lives down the road and i got to talking about the haying season and what it was like then and now he did the talking and 1 did the listening twernt too long ago that we did our haying the hard way got up five six oclock fed the horses milked the cows tended the chickens then went in to breakfast now them was the days when a break fast was a breakfast- none of this dried card board in a box stuff they call cereal we et bacon eggs fresh home made bread hot oatmeal cereal with lotsa cream thick from the top of the can and fresh brewed cant pour it from the pot coffee during the busy season we sometimes had extrys like steak mashed potatoes gravy three kinds of pie and maybe some fresh fruil when it was in season took bout an hour to eat breakfst proper after thet wed head off out and hitch up in them days twernt no fancy dang tractors and balers horsepower woman horsepower soons the dew was off out wed go old maud and ned hitched to the two horse mower oh yeah there were some fancy dude farmers in those days too theyd have these four six and eight hitch mowers thatd cut a swath as big as half our hay field out there i kinda enjoyed sittin up there behind the op beggars watchin the hay come over the blades smooth as a sheet of water washin in over the rocks on lake ontario took longer with two horses but when you enjoy your work you dont mind not so much noise you couldnt hear the larks had to watch out fer the kildears darn fool birds nest on the ground usta try to go round em if we could sometimes the hay field ud looklike there were teeth missin in the mower or that guy cuttin it was half drunk at ten in the mornin never mind we didnt call it that in them days but today thay call it ecology i just didnt like to see poor wounded birds or momma bird missin and no one to raise a nest full of fuzzy critters hardly outa their shells after wed get a field of hay cut then wed sit back and pray it wouldnt rain for a week then out with the rake smootchin up those rows of fresh cut hay into long rows my that did smell nice when both sides of the rowd dry then the men with the pitchforks ud come out one man to a row forkin the hay up inta mounds called it teddin the hay get them little stacks up all over the field looked luce one of them bee fellers had gone mad buildin them beehives all over the field now we were really prayin the good lordd hold off the rain for a spell once it rained on them stooks then wed have to start all over lettin the top dry off then lurnin the whole stack over sos the bottom uddry dang near broke a mans heart to see it rain that time of year once it was dry though in it came lined up a coupla the neigh bours with their teams and wagons four men on the ground pitchin on one man on top the load trampin and settin the hay in the slings the ol team ploddin down the rows stoppin at the right time and nary a word need be spoke to em they knew where their winter feed was comin from while one wagon was headin for the barn another be loadin another be comin back to the field empty and a fourthd be unloadin at the barn that unloadin was somethin to see youd have your load divided up inta four sections all set with the sling ropes un derneath each section and up the sides unhitch the horses from the wagon and hitch em to the long rope runnin from the barn that rope ran from horses up through a pulley at the very top of the barn the pulley came back down to the load of hay sittin on the barn floor fellerd hitch the sling ropes to the end of the long rope the horsesd be given the hup there theyd start pulliif on the rope the section o hayd start risin soons it hit the track at the top o the barn it would start runfiin on the rail feller in the hay mow wouuld have a guide rope to make sure the cart ran in th right direction and if he were vvorkin good hed bring that ol pile o hay right in t were he wanted her give a tug on the guide rope and that pile o hay ud wind up in the mow in just bout the right spot the other fellers up there ud start in t forkin the hay to where the wanted it for sure stompin and settin it if you had good fellers up there youd have just about the nicest straightest mow of hay you ever did see now that filler up there handlin that guide rope had to know what he was doin he pull that guide rope too soon and the whole loadd end up on the barn floor pull it too late and three mend get buried quickern a cat can blink ever been hit by a quarter ton of hay fallin from the roof o the barn youd think it was the end of the world why i remember one time the guy on the wagon didnt hitch the sling ropes proper to the tug rope soons the hay got up a height and hit the track it dumped on him the wagon and all over the barn floor boy there were some words said that day even id not heard afore only way they could find the guy on the wagon was that he was one of these talkin fellers git him would up hed run all day never stopped once he started itd take us upwards main sheet unbnvile 2971700 long distance call collb wanted v used furniture and appliances johrs h1diwv furniture stofce of three weeks just to get enough hay in to winter the cattle and horses never had none for sale in those days them was the days get a bunch o your neighbours together laughin swapin jokes and tellin tall tales each tried to outdo tother thats what kept neigh bours neighbours in those days workin laughin cryin and prayin together anybody- needed help wed all pitch in different nowadays the whole dang bunch of ya is just too independent you take hayin season today ya got these dang fool tractors dont un derstand a word you say these new tangled swatters cut the hay condition it and lay it out in rows dont leave ya no time to stand and admire the scenery along comes another euy balin it he dont even touch it he dont even need no help that dang baler jist picks up the bales arid tosses em into the wagon nary teched by humin hands till your ready to put it in the barn then its up that fool elyvator con traption get a coupla kids up there stackin and complainin bout the beat dont know what heat is they never stood out in a july hay field swelterin under the sun pitchin hunks a hay up there till you felt your arms comin outa there sockets gol darn it they got women out pitchin hay these days in the old days it twernt a womans job her job was in the kitchen tell ya what though sure do wish 1 was f ar- min today coupla days and your hays all in the barn id rather head for florida every winter loo give me half a chance too old now to enjoy anythin but lookin at pretty girls in bathin suits no sense goin to protective autotruck 10 yhr rustproofing guarantee 1 day service courtesy cors avoiloble markham ontario 2972997 florida lest you can do somethin more than sit in the sun sure do beat all in a lot of ways i what things are comin to agree it sure do beat today all