I rode my bike to the hayfield and raked hay for a couple of hours to help out. I really enjoy doing it.
Here's the view from my seat.
Several hawks were flying over and swooping down onto the mowed field to check out the mouse population or perhaps they wanted grasshoppers which were in abundance.
A buck antelope had his place in the sun.
Bales and bales and now some square bales too.
I saw this fox pup as I was going up and down the field. At one point he disappeared and then I saw him jump out from behind a stack of bales. He sat there awhile and looked at me as I stopped to watch him...
...he had some itchy spots...
...then he stood up, stretched, and moved along to the creek below.
Someone was keeping track of how many rows he had raked. See the tally marks?
At home I noticed some warblers (I think they were warblers) darting in and out of the lattice on the front porch. Perhaps they were young birds.
The sky was beautiful again.
And the sunflowers were bright and full of bee life.
Beautiful pictures! But I love the fox best!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day! I wish I could smell the hay and look at the cute fox pup, too!
ReplyDeleteI love your new banner with the sunflower and bees.
Wear your sun hat!
Oh what a darling little bushy-tailed foX pup! A few years ago, when the piXies were still little, we had an uneXpected encounter with a mama foX while berry picking along the creek at dusk. We must have startled her (and the feeling was mutual), because her hackles were raised! We gave her a wide berth and beat a hasty retreat ~ both keenly aware of the instinct to protect one's brood!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! All of it.
ReplyDeleteJoyce
I think I almost *can* smell the hay. But I don't want to hear the machine. I'll wait till you get back to the house, and listen to the warbler. Is it humid? Then I will feel the dampness. Glory to God!
ReplyDeleteDarlene,
ReplyDeleteThe fox pup was fun to watch. I was happy he didn't mind my watching him.
Pom Pom,
I wish you could smell the hay and see the fox pup too. I like the sunflowers so much and so I had to have a banner with one. My hat is on most of the time when I'm in the sun.
Dixymiss,
Your fox encounter sounds a bit scary. I've seen a mama fox and her brood playing at their den, but they didn't see me so they went about their business.
Plain Ol' Vanilla,
I thought it was all beautiful too. Glad you did too.
Gretchen Joanna,
The smell of hay is one you never forget. I was reminded of that when I drove home from town the other day and rolled down the window to fetch the mail. Oh, the smell of mown hay. Nothing like it. It is a bit humid for us this time of year.
Yes, Glory to God!
Thanks for all your kind comments.
Jody
And life is good huh?! I loved the fox, one morning on my early walk, I met up with a fox like that...he watched me and my dog crouching behind the raked hay, then of he went bounding over the rows! I think we have warblers...do your make a little whistle sound? :D
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to go to a farm like that. I want to see a very wide clean place the full of grass. I live in the city that is why I am so excited in that kind of place.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing bales of hay in a field. They look like punctuation marks to me, and I wonder what the fields are trying to say.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing these pieces of your life with us.
xfrances
Wow. Looks like a perfect day to me. And how on earth could you resist trying to play with the little fox. What a cutie!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are so wonderful! Takes me back to my own childhood in Dad's hayfield. I was too young to actually help, but I didn't know that, and tried my hardest. :) The pics you've shared today bring to mind the heat of the sun and the fragrance of freshly mown hay. Awwww, sweet summer!
ReplyDeleteJody,
ReplyDeleteI love your photos and it sounds like a perfect day. Accomplishing much and being able to see God's beauty. I love that cute little fox! The round bales remind me of a joke I once heard:
"Did you know that all farmers are switching to square bales?"
"No, why?"
"So the cattle can get square meals"
:) Sorry I couldn't resist :)
Have a great day Jody!
Sharon
It's all beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJoanne
I loved your whole post, but you know me--I'm going to zoom straight in on your warbler. I can't see it very well, but it looks rather Mourning Warbler-ish to me, or something in that family. But I'm not sure you even have those out there! Also, it being late summer, I'm not sure when warblers lose their spring plumage and all become CFWs (Confusing Fall Warblers). Sorry, I'm not much help here!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think tic-marks are a much better use for perfectly good dust than writing "Wash me!" on a vehicle. Though I suppose washing a tractor would be sort of futile anyway.
As always, I enjoyed the tour of your completely different (from mine), yet interesting, locale!