Hay Making

 Each year at about this time John cuts the prairie beds. We try, unsuccessfully, to encourage wild flowers to proliferate but in fact there were far more varieties in amongst the grass when we arrived than there are now. Wildflower meadows are the "in" thing and we are told to fluff about cutting and scalping them etc. etc. but the traditional method of allowing live stock to graze them is obviously more successful.

However as we haven't got the odd flock of sheep knocking around John has to substitute and it's jolly hard work. He can initially cut the very long grass with the mower but then has to rake it up, deposit it else where (if it stays and rots down it increases the fertility, a total no no for wild flowers the experts tell us) cut it and rake it again. Thank goodness this is a once a year job.

We have rain forecast for tomorrow so he has started the procedure as it is easier when the grass is dry.