I got behind a tractor this morning.
Not all that unusual, except it was one of about 9 million on the roads this week.
Yes, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's a definite sign that hay season is here.
(As if the scratches on my arms, bruised and skinned knee, sore muscles and farmer's tan lines weren't a dead giveaway.)
At any rate, don't be surprised if you get behind a bailer or mower, or even a trailer full of bales in the next couple weeks.
If Cleveland County farmers are anything like my family, they're making all the bales they can, because you never know when you're going to have a season as bad as last year again.
It's impossible to haul hay and look cute.
There isn't a right thing to wear... you can sport jeans and a long-sleeved shirt if you don't want your skin to get ripped up. But if you do, you'll practically roast. You can wear shorts and a tank top and stay cool, but then you have to deal with the flying hay, dust and all the scratches and cuts the sharp hay pieces can dish out. There are middle-of-the-road options, of course, but with them, you end up with a farmer's tan line (such as mine, which was caused by a T-shirt, baseball cap and jeans).
There are really only four must-haves (other than equipment).
ONE: A pair of shoes with good treads. Loose hay + truck bed = slippery.
TWO: Allergy medicine. It's imperative to load yourself up with Benadryl, Zyrtec, etc. If not, you can find yourself having a hard time breathing for days.
THREE: Water. It's hot and sweaty work.
FOUR; Perseverance. After 100 bales, you feel tired, hot and sweaty; after 300, you want to die.
vers event. Here's a photo from that.
MASERATI: I drove in to work one day last week around 8 a.m. and got behind a Maserati on Lafayette Street. I'd say that's a pretty rare sight in Cleveland County.
NEHI: I took Lulu and Gracie to the groomer last week for baths and haircuts. On the way back, I stopped in Polkville for a peach Nehi. Can you guess which convenience store had it in a glass bottle?
The groomer I use is between Lawndale and Polkville. Here's what it looks like inside Animal Trax. I also checked out several new businesses in the upper Cleveland area and got a lot of story ideas, especially for the food page.
