Haying Season.... Already?!?!

Under normal growing conditions, the haying season would start late May or into early June.  However, the well above average temperatures in March put our existing hay fields (not the new seeding I posted about earlier, but the established hay) WAY ahead of schedule!  This nice weather even into April kept the hay growing, which meant that the haying equipment had to be gotten out of storage and maintained to get it ready for the haying season to begin six weeks early!

Much to the kids' dismay, we weren't outside the entire time the guys were working on equipment (my indoors jobs have to get done, too!), but here are a few pictures and step by step explanations of just a couple of the things they do to get "stuff" ready:

Inside the chopper are several dozen "knives".  Look where Josh's left thumb is in this picture.  There are three bolts below this thumb; those three bolts are the width of one knife.  As the chopper is used throughout the season, the blades on the knives get worn down.  (I know!  Who knew chopping forage would cause steel blades to dull?!?!)  Every few uses throughout the season, the blades have to be loosened, adjusted just the smallest part of an inch, and then tightened back.

Now look at the flat bar of steel between Josh's thumb and forefinger.  That bar is what the knives are aligned against.  Every knife is lined up perfectly with the steel bar so that every knife is in the same position and cuts evenly.  More importantly though, having the knives aligned perfectly allows the knives to hit evenly when they are sharpened against the built in sharpening stone in the chopper.  Once the knives are aligned, the steel alignment bar is removed and the knives are ran against the sharpening block before starting in the field.

Getting on eye level with the knives and alignment bar allows Josh to see if they are in just the right spot.

The bolts are on there TIGHT!  Help from a pipe provides more leverage....

...but they're still awfully tight!  I don't know if this is a smirk of "Is that camera out again?!?!" or a grimace of "Man, that bolt is TIGHT!"  Josh (or whoever's job it is... every chopper has to have it done!) just keeps loosening, adjusting and tightening until every knife is done.

Coffeetime... with special guest BushHog!  This cat is the hairiest farm cat I've ever seen, as well as the most spoiled cat to cookie crumbs!

Yes... he drinks coffee, too!  "Teach 'em young!" is what we say!

There's more to do on the chopper than just adjusting the knives and sharpening them, but those jobs were for a different day when we weren't around.  A few days later though...

A few days later, its time to get the silage wagons ready.  We were present for the greasing in.  Every working (moving)mechanism has a grease zerk to be lubricated.

Caleb wasted no time in helping!  Despite a couple of pinched fingers, he kept at it.

Time to get the next set of wagons.  Sarah was super excited to find out it was her turn for a tractor ride... if only for the few yards up to the shop.

Such a happy child!  She loves her tractor rides as long as they aren't too bumpy.

And before we knew it...

And before we knew it, and many weeks ahead of schedule like I previously mentioned, it was time to mow, rake and chop the hay!  Amazing its this early! 
By the way, this picture was another one shown on Channel 13's Photolink :-)

And so is the beginning of many months of long (probably hot) days of haying!