Hay days

The last post I finished showed Garry mowing down hay. On Thursday the guys started baling. In fact, two balers were going in the field, Max drove our baler and his wife's cousin Dima drove his, with some boys on each wagon to load up bales.

It wasn't dry enough to start until almost 5 pm, but the guys filled some wagons. Max had borrowed several so they had six.

Friday morning they needed to unload the wagons so they could bale more hay. Garry unloaded wagons while the boys stacked them. It's the sixth year for this field Garry tells me. It's still got a pretty good stand of alfalfa,  although thinner in the middle.

Valentina 

Friday morning I did my last cooking class after they had English with Nelly.  Victor had bee class the morning before, but I had only girls because the guys were working.

Oksana chopped garlic and onions
while Inna and Leila played pingpong 

We made Sloppy Joe's at the classroom (thanks Jeremy for fixing the electric so it stays on) , the girls all got a sample at the end of class, except for Inna,  who wanted just bread. The boys got to try some when I brought lunch out to the field.  They actually ate theirs on top of a bowl of gretshka (buckwheat) with bread and pickles on the side.

Garry was mowing down the newer alfalfa field, so it would be ready to bale on Monday.  He got a side salad because I picked some spinach and pulled some radishes in the garden.  Leila and Valentina enjoyed the salad, too. Inna doesn't like vegetables,  but loves the gretshka, which was why I cooked it.

Inna had announced on Thursday that she wanted to go back to Kirvoy Rog to work. We were surprised as she seemed to like being here, and really enjoyed hanging out with Alona and the baby. Vasa Mazhara decided that he'd go too. They left early Saturday morning.

As part of my getting ready to go to Canada,  I was scrubbing the living room rug outside on the grass, with hot water, dish soap and vinegar. Happy had more than one accident on it and it smelled.  I had to run over to the barn at one point because a couple heifers escaped and I was hoping to keep them out of the garden. I fed them a bale and gave them water (which did not keep two more from escaping two hours later.)

We really need to get them into the new barn, which is closer to being done. The ran water lines underground and Max got more welding done. Hopefully with the hay done, it will be finished soon.

Progress

 I also worked on watering and planting,  because Garry and I had purchased some perennials at the market that morning.

Meanwhile,  everyone else was busy haying. Garry had to teach English on Saturday,  but helped unload three wagons before leaving.  Ironically I went with him for the day, since I wanted to get some groceries,  because even though we were going to Dnepro on Sunday,  I wouldn't have time to shop then. I found several things I was looking for. It was really hot 28 celcius,  with a nice wind blowing.

 On the way home we tried to buy a heat lamp bulb but couldn't find one for our baby birds. However we bought two incandescent 150 watt bulbs to keep them warm. I  had only the goslings out there Friday night when the bulb blew, and they were okay,  but the turkeys need more heat. Which is why we got a spare bulb. I hope to have them acclimated by Wednesday when I leave. Tonight they all stayed out in the box in the cheese room for the first time.  I had been bringing two or three in for a warmer individual overnight stay in the spare room, then moving them back with the goslings in the mornings.

Sunday morning,  Garry came in the house a half hour before we were supposed to leave for church in Dnepro and asked if I could do it myself. The hot windy day had dried the hay faster than planned and he said  the students were exhausted, so he wanted to stay in the village.
I had to drop Nelly and Max's mother at Central Baptist and then go to Morningstar with Leila (who was torn when she realized that they were doing hay, she's the only girl who helps with bales). Valentina had gone into Dnepro Saturday as she often does when not working to visit and go to the youth church on Saturday night.  All the driving went okay, I even told Garry's planned Bible story about Moses wandering in the desert for Lena's English school.

Sunday evening the Crawfords had invited students and staff for a hot dog roast, and  the students still here were all there, plus us and Nelly.  There were marshmallows toasted too.

Monday the guys and Leila were back at work haying. Garry came in at ten and asked if I could drive Valentina and Nelly into Dnepro,  apparently Valentina had found a possible job there. As I said,  everyone wants to work in the city, we have less students every week it seems. Valentina can start work, it seems to be same job the others got, but there is no room in the dorm, so she came home with us for now. She is calling people she knows in Dnepro looking for a place to stay.

Although when I got back to the village, four hours later, a former student had turned up and was unloading wagons with the rest.  Vasa (not Mazhara) a real surprise.

Vasa is in the red shirt

The hay shed at the new farm is full

That's Leila lifting bales

They filled the hay shed so they started putting them in the old barn later in the afternoon.
Garry fed them lunch and finished the day with coke and ice cream for his workers.

Not him, he's five months pop free. He had cold water with mint leaves.