Haying: A Collaborative Venture

Often wrong, and constantly changing, we still look to the weather forecasts to help us determine when to begin haying.

When we cut the hay, the forecast was ten days of warm, dry weather.

The instant it was down, that changed to possible rain Saturday and Sunday.

The plan had been to bale on Monday.

However, with rain coming, baling was moved to late Sunday evening.

In spite of it being Fathers' Day, our neighbors and their crews were here ready to work.

Sunday 5:30 pm.  Waiting for the baler-man.

We keep watching the clouds moving through the valley.

What will arrive first: the baler or the forecasted rain?

Everyone is a smidge anxious.  

 Can we beat the rain?

7pm: Baler finally arrives.

Hay is still dry.

Crews are bucking hay.

By midnight all of the hay is off the field.

Yeah! It didn't get rained on.

Thanks everyone!

Haying: A collaborative venture.

We will be going through this one more time.

There is still hay to be cut, raked, baled & bucked.

But until then, the elk enjoy grazing in it.

Elk in hayfield.

A few elk with yesterday's lunch.

From my window....

A few pics, all except the mallow, taken from my stufio 
window this morning.....


(Stufio: not a type-o, but a hybrid office/studio combination)


My new favorite flower.  

This little beauty is a native mallow, not sure what kind.

Sometimes found along the road in the county right-of-way, 

I had often seen it and wondered what it was.
It looks somewhat like a hollyhock, only bushy.

 Soil and Water Conservation District gave us some native starts a couple of years ago.

 This was one of them.  

It has been blooming for about four weeks now, and still has lots of new buds.

I love it. I want more!

Native Oregon Mallow

Native Oregon Mallow

We have been seeing a lot of cow elk lately.

However, this morning the bulls were hanging out.

Heard a bull bugle two nights ago.  

Elk browsing in the daisies this morning.

Last time I checked there were 5 eggs in the blue bird box.

I know that they have hatched because we see the adults

taking in the food, and carrying out the poop sacks.  

(Genetically modified human beings that  pooped in sacks like the bluebirds do might be a worthy scientific endeavor.)

Tempted to go see how they are doing.

However, with all the hay work going on right beside their little house,

I am thinking that they are under enough stress

Bluebird Momma

The whole valley is working overtime today, 

trying to get the hay in before it rains.

Hay Down! Rain Coming!

Yeah, the garden is in & growing.

Everything looks really good this year

Happy Sunday.  Happy Fathers' Day.

Rhubarb...

Yeah! Besides hay, walnuts and timber, we now can add rhubarb to the "crops" sold from the farm.  Granted, only 20 pounds, but it's a start.  A year ago we expanded the number of rhubarb plants, as rhubarb seems to be very happy here, and it can be dry farmed. We won't pick any of the new rhubarb this year, but will give it a chance to get established.   Next year we should be rolling in rhubarb.


The rhubarb came from my dad many, many years ago.  Wherever I move, the rhubarb moves with me.  I was surprised and pleased to see how well it has done here in this cold, very wet, little valley.  My dad isn't sure of the varietal, so I have by decree renamed it "Harry's Maltby Red".  Harry, being my father, and Maltby, being the small Washington community where I grew up.   

Rhubarb: Before the picking.

20 Pounds of Rhubarb....with invoice!

So thank you, Scott and Community Plate in McMinnville for making us rhubarb farmers.

On a different note:  The last post asked if you could see the difference between the male and the female acorn woodpeckers.  Jane, my most long time friend from college, (not to be confused with old college friend) had the fastest right answer.  The female has a ridge of black on her forehead.  The male does not.


And on an even more different note: Happy Birthday, sister Terri.  

Male or female?????

Been awhile since I posted, but couldn't resist sharing my pictures from this morning.....

Here is the newest bird I have seen.  An acorn woodpecker.  I was sitting in a park waiting for Libby to get her hair done, when these little woodpeckers showed up.  I had never seen one before.

Female Acorn Woodpecker

Female Acorn Woodpecker

Male Acorn Woodpecker

So can you figure out the difference between the male and female?

Without googling?  Just by looking at the pictures!

(Reminds me of picture games where you locate the differences between the two pictures.)