Rural Reminders
Is this a classic rural image or what? It shows my parents’ farm, my nephew (also a farmer,) and his great-grandfather’s truck that he restored.
My visits to the farm are always filled with images like this. Things that I just wouldn’t see in the (suburban) town where I live. Although I grew up on the farm, I forget about these things and I have to chuckle at myself for being surprised by them.
In case it’s been a while since you’ve been to a farm area, I thought you might like a little photo tour.
Here’s a typical hay wagon. It’s pulled behind a bailing machine, which gathers raked hay, ties it into square bales, and spits them out into the open front of the wagon.
Not all the wagons look so good.
Square bales have been mostly replaced with huge round ones. The round ones can only be moved with a fork lift, so they can’t be sold easily. Since my dad sells hay to lots of horse owners, he square bales some of it.
Farm trivia: Do you know the difference between hay and straw? Hay is food. It’s made with the entire plant (like barley.) Straw is used for bedding. It’s made from the stalks and leaves of plants, after the grain has been harvested.
More rural photos to come. What do you want to see next? Scenery or the county fair?
Ellen Lindner
P.S. The gridded sides of these wagons always make me think of a gridded quilt layout. Wouldn’t these be interesting variations?
I really like the restored truck. I know a person who has a similar truck restored. Old is gold 🙂
Yes, he’s very proud of it. And it’s cool that so many family members have used it over the decades.