Monday Daily Dose of Cute:Meet Our New Hay Inspector

Topaz takes her job seriously

© FarmgirlFare.com, the scrutinized foodie farm blog where Topaz, who spent 15 months at the animal shelter before we adopted her last December (along with Sarah Kate and Mr. Midnight), decided to move outdoors and is loving her new life as a farm cat. She even rode around the farmyard on the hay trailer before I snapped this picture.

Oh yeah, and I lied — a brief explanation of the whole haying process will accompany the next photo, not this one. Plus I still need to get you caught up with the rapidly growing livestock guardian puppies (yes, they finally both have names!), the new bread bakery building, and some other stuff I'm forgetting at the moment. There are more recipes to share and lots of wonderful new cookbooks to give away, too.

Sheesh. How did I get so far behind? It's been almost a week since the last Daily Dose of Cute. And you haven't even met Sylvester the cat — or the cows! At least we had cake and cookies. That makes everything better, right?

Monday Farm Photo: View From a Hay Bale

Taking a Break from Loading Up the Trailer

A year of Farm Photos ago:
6/30/07: Stormy Weather On My Mind but not On My Farm

Two years ago:
6/29/06: It's Not the End of the Day Yet
6/30/06: Martha & Her Twins Keep Sneaking Into the Hayfield

Three years ago:
6/28/05: Last of the Hay Bales - We Start Cutting Today
6/29/05: It's Best to Cut Hay On a Hot Sunny Day
6/30/05: This Way to the Hen Houses

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where the next photo will include a brief explanation of the haying process for those of you who have been wondering about it — and then the hay photos will be over for a while (for those of you who have been wondering if they were ever going to end, which is pretty much how it feels during haying season).

Sunday Farm Photo: Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Keep Those Hay Bales Comin'

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where the most important thing we learned during haying season this year is that you always need to double check the shear bolts (and anything else) the kid at the local hardware store picks out for you, because returning the ones that are the wrong size makes for an hour of driving, a lot of frustration, and some very expensive bolts considering the price of gas these days. But thanks to my hunky farmguy's masterful skills with duct tape, at least baling operations didn't have to shut down during the mad dash back to town.

Saturday Farm Photos: A Slight Haying Delay

Old Tractors Don't Always Start on the First Try



But the 20th Time's a Charm!

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where sometimes we fix our well worn tractors and haying equipment with duct tape and baling twine — then hold our breaths and repeat our soothing mantra while waiting to see if they'll make it through one more year: They may be old, but they're paid for. They may be old, but they're paid for.

Friday Farm Photo: Antique Haying Equipment

Oldies but Goodies (Who Needs Brakes?)

A year of Farm Photos ago:
6/17/07: Whitey & Her Baby Chicks
6/19/07: Caution Foodie Forming
6/23/07: Looking for my Strawberries, Turtle?
6/25/07: Echinacea by the Cat Cabin

Two years ago:
6/25/06: Weekend Turtle Blogging
6/26/06: Who Needs TV When You Have Cary & DDD?
6/27/06: Snugglebunny's Twin Girls Heading Out for Breakfast

Three (!) years ago:
6/24/05: Makeshift Fence
6/25/05: J2 in the Cat Cabin - Where's Breakfast?
6/26/05: Glance & It's Mundane, Look & See Reflected Beauty
6/27/05: Sweet Teddy Boy

And out of the kitchen came:
Three Onion & Three Cheese Pizza and My Easy Pizza Dough Recipe (plus Loving Leftover Pizza)
Decidedly Different Chocolate Chip Cookies (and how to hug a sheep)
Blueberry Breakfast Bars

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where scrolling through the late June archives reminds us that some things do stay the same around the farm - outside right now are little lambs (including Snugglebunny's twins - boys this year) and little chicks (well, not quite so little anymore), strawberry-munching turtles (they're everywhere!), a hungry J2, and a showy mass of cheerful echinacea flowers. Now if only there was a homemade pizza and a pan of blueberry bars in the kitchen.

Thursday Farm Photo:Back in the Hay Days (Already?)

It Feels Like We Were Just Doing This

Want to see more haying photos?
6/28/05: Last of the Bales - We Start Cutting Today
6/29/05: It's Best to Cut Hay on a Hot Sunny Day
8/29/05: Raked Hay Ready to be Baled Today
8:30/05: From Here to the Barn Seems to Take an Eternity
8/31/05: Each Bale is Handled Four or Five Times
6/9/06: Cary at the Start of Hay Pick Up Day #1
6/10/06: Cary Guards a Hay Bale
6/11/06: Hay Inspector Samples the Harvest
6/11/06: Farm Boss Patchy Cat Has the Final Hay Say
6/11/06: Cary & the Nanny Bear Take a Haying Break
6/12/06: Baby Cary in the Hay Truck
6/13/06: Not a Hay Bale in Sight - It's a Beautiful Thing
6/15/06: How to Ensure a Happy Haying Crew
7/14/07: In the Hay, Be Back Soon
7/17/07: Haying Supervisor
6/27/08: Antique Haying Equipment
6/28/08: A Slight Haying Delay
6/29/08: Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
6/30/08: View From A Hay Bale
6/30/08: Meet Our New Hay Inspector

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where as soon as the Four Hour Parisian Daily Baguettes are finished baking (they smell so good!) I'm headed back out to help pick up bales - then we'll be out of the hay and hopefully I'll have time to share a bunch of tasty new recipes that have been piling up, including three simple and refreshing vegetable salads, my new favorite orange loaf cake, and the easiest white bean appetizer spread ever.

Farm Photo: 7/17/07

Haying Supervisor

Click here if you'd like to see more photos of Robin, the smiling beagle who loves country life. And click here if you'd like to read how Robin came trotting into my life ten (can it be already?) years ago.

A year of Farm Photos ago:
7/15/06: Something New Is Always Popping Up
7/16/06: Butterfly Bonanza
7/17/06: "I'm Ready To Come Inside Now," Says The Privileged Animal (That would be Cary, who is doing just fine for those of you who've been asking. I'll be posting my new favorite photo of her along with a brief Cary update soon.)
WDB#43: Morning Dog Walk Through The Woods

© 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares photos & stories of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo: 7/14/07

In the hay. Be back soon.

A year of Farm Photos ago:
7/10/06: BB & Tana Are Always Together
7/11/06: Donkey Daycare For Cary Today
7/12/06: Donkey Daycare?!
7/13/06: Looking Up While Tucking In The Sheep
WCB#56: Cary & Doodle Snacking In The Living Room

Welcome new visitors!
Click here for a brief introduction to this site.

© 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares photos & stories of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

How To Ensure A Happy Haying Crew

You Don't Want To Be In This Photo

Putting up hay means extremely long days of very hard work under the blazing hot sun. In order for everyone to survive until the end of this exhausting experience, it is absolutely vital to have lots and lots of the following on hand (even if your haying crew consists of only one guy, one girl, and two quadrupeds):

--Ice Water
--Ice Coffee
--Ice Packs
--Ice Cold Homebrewed Beer
--And last but not least, Leftover Homemade Pizza



Happy Haying Crew Member

Daily Farm Photo: 6/13/06

Not A Hay Bale In Sight--It's A Beautiful Thing

Still in Haying Recovery Mode. Busy catching up on everything around the farm and garden now that I can focus on something besides hay. Will hopefully be back later to reply to your comments and emails and answer questions. Thanks for your patience.

A year of daily photos ago: Heart Rocks make their first appearance. My collection sure has grown in a year. I think I have at least 60 heart rocks now (all found on or near the farm).

Daily Farm Photo 6/11/06: Baby Is Cary on the Job

Hay Inspector samples the harvest

There's a lot more hay in the barn than there was yesterday morning, but we're not done yet. There are 100+ bales still on the trailer, a large swath of cut hay laying out in the field, and two extremely weary hayers who slept in and are now racing the coming rainstorm. But the hay looks better than it has in years.

It even passed inspection.

A Year Of Daily Photos Ago: Cluck, Cluck, Cluck

© FarmgirlFare.com

Daily Farm Photo: 8/31/05

Each Bale Is Handled Four Or Five Times Between Field & Barn

Daily Farm Photo: 8/30/05

From Here To The Barn Seems To Take An Eternity

Daily Farm Photo: 8/29/05

Raked Hay Ready To Be Baled Today

Daily Farm Photo: 6/29/05

It's Best To Cut Hay On A Hot, Sunny Day

Daily Farm Photo: 6/28/05

Last Of The Hay Bales: We Start Cutting Today