(long post warning)

 

When we got back from camping, the field behind our house was mown. They came to turn and dry the hay, then yesterday, they baled it. The plan for today was to go down early in the morning to get photographs of the scattered bales and the children playing. But even before we sat down for breakfast, I heard the tractor’s noise. And there they were, picking up the bales! Quick! We ran outside to watch.

 

 

 

Akiva likes watching the tractor lift the bales to place them on the trailer.

 

 

 

Iris is a bit nervous that she might get squished.

 

 

 

Finally, all the trailers are full and off to be unloaded.

The tractor driver left a long row of waiting bales— for us!

Martin leans over to take a good sniff & Akiva steps on.

 

 

 

On top!

 

 

 

With few minor adjustments to move the bails closer—

 

 

 

off they go— across the bales!

 

 

 

Back again—

 

 

 

and off the top!

 

 

 

Back on—

 

 

 

and on across the bales—

 

 

 

and back again.

 

 

 

A few more adjustments to close the gaps—

 

 

 

and away they run.

 

 

 

Back up to the high end—

 

 

 

and jump down again!

 

 

 

Up, back up on top of the bales—

 

 

 

and running!

 

 

 

Back down again. Off the top.

 

 

 

Back on Earth, Iris discovers left-over hay. What a waste! She gathers it.

 

 

 

Akiva is not quite done on top. He finds it is more efficient to gather hay directly from the bales.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Iris has trotted back home to get some yarn and a pair of scissors.

She has an idea.

 

 

 

Akiva gathers hay directly from the bales—

(which is bothersome to Iris, because her project was to glean the field)—

 

 

 

he hands it to Martin—

 

 

 

and Iris ties it into smaller round bales.

 

 

 

Martin ends up with big muscles from rolling bales and lifting kiddos before changing out of his pyjamas—

 

 

 

Akiva ends up covered in hay scratches—

 

 

 

Iris ends up with some lovely, small round bales to feed our prospective bunny—

 

 

 

and I end up with over a hundred photographs to sort and process! How lovely!

 

 

 

The end.