Hay

We spend the previous week with Martin's parents. Martin wanted to get some quality time in doing hay. A three day process, approximately.

First day: If the weather forecast is good, you cut the meadows starting 6ish in the morning, when the grass and plants are not yet limp from the heat of the sun. Use a machine on the less steep slopes, or a scythe on the steeper ones. Someone else spreads the cut material into a uniform layer over the cut field.


(Steep place...)

Second day the cut grass is turned over so it can dry on the other side.

Third day it is raked together, and either carried into the stables or blown into them using a blowing machine with a wide (3 foot diameter?) tubing attached to it through which the hay travels. No pictures of that, but here is some pictures of "child labor": Martin's nephew carrying the hay, right behind Martin's sister. That parking lot across which they carry the hay is the biggest flat area in the village. Glacier in the background behind the chapel.




(Getting the load off)

PS: Our good camera is completely out of action now. Only have a video camera that takes small resolution pictures. May be I will start posting videos instead.