Rolling the hay, and the Pulley Maid

I am all out of puff,

and have a shakiness within the body which had to have some chocolate and a cup of coffee to be made well again.

What have I been doing?

Rolling hay bales about, that's what.

Not little knee sized bales,

but stonking big things, dropped off a few days ago by a local farmer friend,

and left out on the drive, but they needed to be got under cover because hay is like a dry sponge when there is the merest hint of wetness about, and will sop up that wetness, whether it comes from the ground or the sky, and soon become a rotting mess which none of the animals can eat.

 

So.....

with much heaving, cussing, smiles, jollity, yells, and with many "For crikey's sake, Vera, PUSH!!" from Lester,

we have got four of the five bales under cover.

 



The tractor was useless because the bales were too heavy for it to lift them,

its wheels kept skidding, it kept tearing the bindings of the bales,

and a couple of times it threatened to topple over.

I knew the feeling,

I, too, felt like toppling over several times,

and I knew when I had had enough because I started fantasizing about drinking a steaming mug of  sugary coffee loaded down with our cream, and having a nibble at a couple of chocolates 'borrowed' from out of a posh box of choccies which was supposed to be donated to a friend for Christmas.

And this was only after having help shift the first bale.

 

Another sunny day here, and the long stretch of warm weather continues.

The temperatures are averaging between 15C and 20C, and look set to continue for a while.

 

Meanwhile, back indoors.....

 

 

This is a Pulley Maid.

It arrived in the post yesterday,

and within an hour Lester had it fixed to the ceiling,

and voila.....

 

 

..... within a further hour I had brought the washing in from outside and gave the Pulley Maid a test

 

Now perhaps you would not like airing your clothes in the middle of the kitchen,

and I must admit to wondering if it was going to clutter the place up,

but no, it has not,

instead it has given the kitchen a farmhouse cosiness.

 

Our kitchen is coming along.

It has no matching units,

nor has it ever so long counter tops,

instead it is becoming a place all of its own self.

I still have lots of sorting out to do,

but I am at last getting a home which is not full of packing boxes and general muddle.

 

Coffee and choccies have done the trick,

so I must away and do something outside in the sunshine,

perhaps cut brambles,

cut down some hedging,

prep the herb garden for next year,

weed the veg plot,

um, well, no, that can all wait,

I am going to sit and spin,

or knit,

or just watch the chickens get up their normal mischief.

 

Bye for now,

 

Vx