or rather, hay.
At least...I'm assuming this is hay.
It could be straw.
Are those bales of hay or bales of straw?
What is straw?
What is hay?
What's the difference between hay and straw?
These are questions I asked myself while editing these pictures because I'm not an agriculturally educated woman.
One would imagine that I would have some knowledge in this department since I've lived in this little farm town the majority of my life (actually about 1 mile from this exact spot), but I guess it never interested me much.
Google helped...as usual...
The short answer?
Hay is to be eaten. Straw is for bedding and whatnot.
If you would like to educate yourself further you can read more about it here. Who knew there was a site called strawbale.com? And it's actually not an educational site about straw...rather, a site about straw bale houses!
I did not know this was possible!
I have so much to learn.
A little background on these seemingly random (okay, they're random) shots...
I was on my way home one fine, June evening when I passed the above workers.
The setting sun was shining so amazingly across the field. It was casting a wonderful glow on the hay (straw?) dust particles making them look like pixie dust (if you know what that looks like).
It was like some weird glimpse into the past...a simpler time. A time of hard work and sweat. A time when families worked together to accomplish the same goal. A time when fresh air was fresher (minus hay/straw dust) and sweating was normal (it's 100 degrees outside right now, sweat is on my mind).
It was beautiful and amazing.
I wanted you to see it too.
So I drove like a mad woman to my house, grabbed the camera and drove like a mad woman back (totaling two minutes) and guess what?
The sun had already changed. The glow was gone. The pixie dust was gone. I missed the moment.
I still have it in my brain but that's of no use to you, so you'll just have to be satisfied with what I did get.
This is Wyatt again.
I hear that he is impatiently waiting to see his pictures.
And to that I say...
Get off my back! I'm workin' on it already!
I don't really say that.
Okay, I really said it.
In a nice way.
B
Up next: The rest of Mr. Impatient's session...
12 comments:
I like the field pictures, a lot, but I don't like the one of them that is b/w. The beauty of the hay lies in it's rich gold color. Otherwise it's just tall clumpy grass.
Wow~You do GREAT work!!!& I really appreciated your narrating,..Your Very Talented~<3
1.hay is field grass
2.straw is wheat stalk
This looks like straw bales
I generally just look and enjoy, both the pics and the narrative, but this time I find myself having to ...(?) defend... your b & w of the field, I think this illustrates perfectly the timelessness of farming. This is just as illuminating as if it was took in the 1900's and will still be relevant another 100 years from now.
While I appreciate all the above sentiments I must share thoughts from another point of view. With the possible exception of Taco, none of you have actually done this work. And trust me after the first 3 bales this ceases to be any ones idea of a good time. And to watch your little 5"4' mommy toss twice as many bales twice as fast as not only yourself but the two sluggish men working the same job the scene tends to lose it's timelessness/beauty and all those other adjectives that were used. Now that my rant is done, nice pictures by the way;)
I am the person on the tractor baling the straw. Google and the comments above are correct, hay is grass that is fed to livestock and straw is wheat stubble that is used for bedding, erosion control, and sometimes frost prevention in gardens and such. Some people may not know straw can be made from more than just wheat, there is barley straw and oat straw. I appriciate that you took the time to photograph us.
it is a standard of farm life.So many have left the small bales behind. When I helped a neighbor with his hay I drove a 1946 tractor (farmall?) w/the rake behind and it can be fun. It's hot hard work with your head turned the wrong way most of the time and it so necessary for lot's of reasons. but you do throw it as fast as you can because it is itchy and trying to beat the asmatha attack one of the other is in the process of having...but what would a "hayride" be without this sweaty work? and props for pict,etc and fairy dust?
Eli...So glad I could photograph you! The pleasure was all mine. :) And thanks for the clarification. Keep up the good work.
Anonymous...thanks for the glimpse into the work...and yes, fairy dust. :)
Something we forgot. Applaud for all the farmers out there doing the heavy work.
Especially with 100 degree weather, that is determination, we are impressed!
that was my dad in the straw hat doing the straw bales, they worked very hard that day :)
Hi farmer! I really liked your straw! Hehe. Wow B i found the perfect place you HAVE to photograph its called alley springs. I've been there before but never really saw the beauty in it until leaving on vacation. It was soooo stunning. And if you go to the right places you see a gorgeous mist. It would be an awesome place for senior pictures (wink wink, hint hint, Me!)
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