Heinäkuu - The Hay Month (July)

The Finns were never conquered by the Romans so they didn't have to name their months after Roman emperors or gods like we have.  Their calendar largely followed the agrarian year.  Haymaking was traditional done in July, just as it is here in the Copper Country,  so July was called the Hay Month- Heinäkuu.  You need warm, preferably hot,  and dry weather for hay to properly dry once it is cut, so haymaking coincides with the warmest days of summer.

Getting back to the Romans, I will say this for them.  I am grateful that Augustus Caesar took a day off February, which was the last month in their calendar, and tacked it on to his month - August, so that it would be just as long as that of his predecessor Julius - July.  When you are the emperor you don't have to settle for a second-rate month.

We picked up two hay wagon loads - about 200 bales - from our neighbor up the road.

I used the tractor to back up the load to the hayshed.  Backing up a long-tongued hay wagon is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master.  It took many tries to get it this far.

One of the things you learn about gravity as you  get older is that things go down a lot easier than they go up. Notice, if you will, who is throwing the bales down and who is picking them up.  Last year the roles were reversed, but this year I made sure I jumped up on the wagon first.

Sam is half my age and an endurance athlete to boot, so this was excellent cross-training for him.

Throwing bales in the hot sun is sweaty work, but you need to wear long clothing to protect you forearms and legs from getting scratched up.

What's papa doing?

He's piling 50 pound bales.  It was shady inside the hayshed, but about as comfortable as a poorly heated oven.

The girls of course thought it was great fun.

Whoopee!

My future hay piling crew.