On laying on a hay bale in the rain

So it was time to get the animals fed. All are still inside, the rain having been falling, and the fields therefore still saturated. This means that we have to wrestle the hay from off of the big hay bales. It is not easy. We have to wear gloves because the stalks of dried thistle and bramble, which are also in the hay, make punctures and scratches to our skin. Not to worry, the hay smells like hay, and reminds of summer even in the rain.

I normally do the sheep, giving them six bags of hay in the morning, and then six again in the evening. Lester does the rest.

But a small problem has arisen. I can't walk properly. Too much sitting at the PC. Too much of not scything grass for the pigs. Too much of no outside activity. All this has stiffened me up, and my back has gone very 'ouchy'. Now that is alright for a day, but not alright for longer.

And yesterday afternoon, the rain was falling, the wind was blowing, and it was a not very nice outside. Nevertheless, I was determined to help my man get the animals done. So I started trying to pull hay from off the bale. It was slow going. When the bale is being used from the outside, all goes quite fast.  And then the inner hay is met, and that is so compressed that we can only grab a small handful at a time to put into the bags, and it is sooooo slow. When the sun is shining it does not matter. One wants to linger. Not so when the wind and rain are upon us.

So Lester said that perhaps it would be a good idea if I were to put my weight on the bale to lift it apart so that he could grab better handfuls of hay. So I did. And my back went 'oops'. And there I was, stuck half upright. Oooohhh deeaarr!

And all I could do was laugh, and tell Lester to get a move on, and would he then help me get back on my feet properly, and would he mind ever so much if could waddle me through the rain, wind and mud, back to the house, and that I could carry on from there, and he could carry on with getting the animals done.

It took me ages to get from the front door to the kitchen.

And then John and Kathy came round with his new thingummyjig which comprised a piece of wood a metre long to which was tied a long piece of strimming cord, and a large green garden waste bin, plus an amplifier and a microphone. It is John's mission at this time to get Lester attached to an amplifier via his fiddle. The stick, the cord, the bin, these were all fitted together (bin upside down, stick fixed to ridge of bin, cord inserted into bottom of bin via a wee hole) and a DIY bass strummy thing was made. And as John and Lester were doing their man things with the instruments, Kathy and I shopped at Hobgoblin (on the Internet) for a bodhran (small drum) for her because she thinks she might like to have a go at beating the drum after borrowing mine.

My back, it was dying a death. Not to worry, it was fun messing about with music, and today amplifiers for our computers have arrived from Amazon so we have Irish and Scottish music skipping about in the air over our heads.

I collapsed into bed like a pole axed tree last night. But my back was alright this morning, for all of half an hour or so, then it said that it really did want to do anything much, but I did try to help Lester with the hay again, but he sent me inside. I did keep up on my feet for a while, and then I dragged Lester to bed, and we had a gloriously sinful late morning nap, because we are self employed, and can take time out when necessary.

I rubbed my back with Vick, and a painkiller was taken. I have not taken a painkiller in years. But I could not let Lester carry on the farm work without some assistance, even if it was only to cook the lamb for lunch tomorrow, and bake a cake. And I made myself a walking stick from a long piece of tree branch, to which I attached some bits and pieces of fabric and wool which made it look quite arty, and this got me round the house, although did not assist me over much when I tried to walk the dogs round the back field for toilet business.

I keep bending over to stretch my back out, and I keep visualizing the blue light of healing flowing in and around my lower back. The pain will soon go, of that I am sure.

Message to self: Remember to purchase some back rub stuff as Vick is for blocked up sinuses and not really for aiding stiffness of the bod.
- the thought of rolling about on a cold tiled floor to do some yoga stretches might not be an attractive proposition during the winter, but if you do not do that then your back will get like a plank of wood. Be a good girl, go down on that rug, go do some stretches, but make sure all the dogs are elsewhere because they will join in too, the outcome being a jolly good romp, which is not going to help your back, although might make for a jolly good laugh. 

Hope all your bits and pieces are working OK.....

Vx