Greatly Satisfied

summer day of baling hay

The heat of the day rests heavy on my skin, tingling and itching reminds me I forgot my sunblock.  A halter top and knee length overalls will redefine my farmer's-tan as I rake the back-forty.  Adjacent to me is a field of Bermuda; the hot days of summer keeps it sprouting stalks daily and ever reaching to the sky. This field has another full month of growing to do and though I see it every year I never grow tired of watching the waves of wind wash across it. Like morning tide the blades of green dance from corner to corner. 

A hawk rides the thermals hoping for a meal to scamper into view.  A scarlet tanager drifts on a single stalk it is too hot for song so he sits in silence. He seems to not have a care in this world as the wind sways him to-and-fro.  A village of crickets rings out, as an opposing settlement answers.  A handful of honey bees’ island hop from Black-eyed Susan’s to little white Daisy’s that line the dirt-road.  A caramel colored pup complete with a caramel colored nose is impervious to the heat and chases a black and yellow butterfly.

My tractor hums as the wind whines across the savanna. Fescue neatly cut is turned into rows. My husband pursues a few rows back spitting out bales of hay behind me.  The day well leave us ready for rest and greatly satisfied.

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

I never got to experience hay-hauling from this angle, but you make it sound wonderful. Just being out in nature like that has to be great. When in my teens, I spent many a long, hot, arduous day bucking hay onto flatbed trucks, usually for the enormous sum of 1 penny per bale. (For that big money, I also got to put the hay in the barn) Live snakes sticking out of bales, scratches and rashes all over my hands and arms--it was the most back-breaking of all the back-breaking work I've ever done. It also provided me with enough money to buy a few new clothes and some popcorn for my sweetie when I took her to the movie.

[madmocha]

Yeeaaahhhh... I've been here Cherrie. In Oregon though. Riding the tractor doing the cutting was better then the baler in my experience. The baler got to eat dust. :D
I've also been where Sam Dickens described. Bucking and loading into the barn loft. Uhggg... A hundred and twenty up stairs that day, they said. Thanks for a marvelous reminder of good memories.

Two **minor** things:
--"Adjacent to me is a field of Bermuda the hot days..." Should be a period, probably, after Bermuda, or semi-colon maybe.
--"My tractor hums as the wind wines across the..." Should be 'whines'. ;)
Wonderful story. It pulled me in and let me see it.
--(One more...sorry.) "The day well leave us ready for rest..." 'Well' is 'will'?

[Cecelia]

My son and daughter-in-law grow hay for their horses....I have to say their description has never been this beautiful...Love the way you are so aware of your surroundings...your descriptive writing really takes one there to see and feel the place your are in...

[.......]

Wow I really enjoyed this Cherrie, You write soem amazing stories. Love the closing lines. Very vivid imagery, enjoyable read.