A New Roll Of Netwrap
Most of you are probably saying, “huh?” at the title of today’s blog post.
Netwrap is the netting that is wrapped around the outside of the bale to keep the bale from falling apart after it is ejected from the baler.
All together now: “Oh yeah, I knew that.”
Anywho, last weekend when I was taking pics of Harland baling hay, he asked me to bring out a new roll of netwrap to him in the field. The one in the baler was running low. The new roll of netwrap was on the back end of the bucket truck so I needed to drive the truck out into the field close to where Harland was baling.
Drive the bucket truck.
Me.
For the first time.
Oh, goody, this was going to be fun! It’s a big truck, a diesel. Never driven such a big truck.
Feel the power baby.
If my face looks red it’s only because it was about 95 degrees that day and I had been chasing Harland around the field on foot taking pics of him baling hay and the wind was blowing about 50 mph and it was all-around what I call a butt miserable day.
Oh, and see that red area on the end of my index finger? A little advice for you: If you happen to be in a hotel room and you want to reach into your cosmetic bag for your makeup and you force your hand past the disposable razor and it doesn’t have a cover on it, it’s likely to peel a piece of flesh off your finger like a potato peel and your finger is likely to bleed like a stuck pig. And you won’t be able to stop the bleeding and you don’t have a bandaid so you’ll hang over the bathroom sink while it drips blood as you frantically try to make a bandaid out of toilet paper.
Just so you’re aware. Don’t do it.
Back to the netwrap.
So I drove the truck out into the field and down the hill. I turned off the engine, rolled down the windows, and waited for Harland to run out of netwrap. Getting out of the volcanic sun was a blessing, and the wind swirling around in the truck was refreshing.
Finally he ran out of wrap and drove over to the truck. He popped open the back of the baler and removed the cardboard roll leftover from the wrap.
Kinda like a roll of paper towels.
Then he removed the new roll from the bucket truck.
*grunt* New rolls weigh about 80 pounds.
Next he removed the outer wrapping:
applied baby power liberally to the rollers to help them run smoothly,
and hoisted the new roll into place:
Hey, baler manufacturers: Could this be a more awkward, hernia-inducing process?
After Harland got back up off the ground from where he had collapsed from exhaustion, then he started the end of the wrap between the rollers,
closed the baler up and was back on his way baling more hay.
Later he hoisted me up in the bucket truck so I could take pictures of the baling process from above.
Yikes! I’m afraid of heights!
Stay tuned.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Jeez that exhausted me and I’m only reading this! As idyllic as a farm seems, I know how much hard work goes into it. I love your blog and thanks for posting 🙂 Stay cool!
Thank you Elizabeth! Yes, hard work, but very rewarding.
Ah, the trial and tribulations! Farming is so much more than just riding around in the big tractors and other implements. Your insight is so telling to us non-farming folks. Thank you Harland for all you do! You too Suzanne, you are a big help when you aren’t bleeding out that is. Hope you are healing nicely!
Yes, my boo boo finally healed after 2 weeks. Thanks Glenda!
Oh…I guess the net wrap does have to be replaced occasionally! 🙂 I kind of forgot about that! Ouch for your finger! Different subject… I heard my neighbor called Harland the other night for some info about a parade! Don’t be surprised if he visits your farm sometime next summer, and you become part of his 2014 farming video! He does one every year…some clips from around here, and some from all over the midwest. 🙂
Yes, Harland mentioned that he received a call from your neighbor. I meant to follow up but haven’t so I’m not sure if/when your neighbor is coming out. Exciting!
OOOOOHH!! It took me awhile to stop cringing about your finger cut! That kind of thing really gets to me! But I really enjoyed the story about you driving the big bucket truck (remembering when you first saw it!) and the changing of the netting! Good story! Thanks!
I’d love to see the video Alica is talking about, especially if Harland and you get to be part of it!
Thanks Jeanne. I’ll let everyone know if we end up in a video. Thanks.
Disposable razors are the devil’s handiwork. I have been attacked by them numerous times over the years. I finally gave up shaving and buying razors. Much better now. Love the pic from the bucket. Were you shaking so much that it got blurred !~! I hate heights too.
I was shaking and the wind was blowing me around, so I had to change some settings on the camera so it didn’t blur.
Was wondering why you didn’t just put that net wrap into a pickup and take it to the field. At 80 pounds that would have been a struggle. Never knew it weighed that much!
Yeah, in a single layer it’s practically weightless, but all together in a roll, it’s pretty hefty.
I definitely know what this stuff is.. I delivered a lot of it to the guys in the field when we used to help a friend with his hay.. do you also use a wrapper to wrap all your hay or is it stored in a barn? it is really interesting to watch the baler drop that big bale.. my part other than being a gopher was raking hay.. loved it.. out there all by yourself.. the radio playing country music, no phones.. my husband would cut the hay then i would rake and then our friend did the baling.. then my husband used a bale wagon to get it out of the field on it’s way to be wrapped.. i took pictures of my husband using that bale wagon, how u stop at the bale, this big arm comes down and at the same time a wheel comes out, you roll ahead and capture the bale, lift it onto the wagon, a lever moves the bales forward then back and u go to the next one.. the wagon held 9 bales..
We don’t wrap our hay, here in Kansas, it’s hot and dry enough that the hay cures so we don’t have to wrap it. We use a tractor with a spear attachment to fork the bales and carry them to a flatbed. Then the flatbed is hauled to an area near the barn where the bales are lined up in rows all together.
I learned the hard way how dangerous those disposable razors can be if left uncovered in a makeup bag/case. I dug out my retired hard eyeglass case that had a good hard closure and it now serves the purpose of holding those razors. I can actually fit three razors in it if I turn two facing the same direction and one facing the opposite way. If yours doesn’t shut with a good hard closing, a rubberband or stretchy ponytail hair band would help to hold it shut.
Love your blog, and truly appreciate the hard work of your farming lifestyle.
thanks for the hint about carrying razors when traveling. I’ll have to try that. thanks!
Interesting. The only hay baling I ever made were the old rectangular bales … many … many … moons ago:) This was my first time visit to your blog ~ I enjoyed the visit.
Thank you Mel, come back soon!
Omg! Your tale about the cut finger was horrible! EWWWWWKKKK!Poor baby! Note to self don’t ever do that and bring band-aid’s and or a septic pencil. Do people still used them? Yes, you would think there would be an easier way of changing the net rolls huh?
Don’t know about the septic pencil, never hear of them, but it sounds handy. If they make them we sure could use them. Harland and I keep bandaid in business.
It’s actually a styptic pencil, and men used to use them when they nicked their faces when shaving. They’re still available I think, but I’m not sure I’d have wanted to use one on that cut you had! It really smarts, when you use one! However, you can check ’em out! I like the idea of putting the razors in a glasses case for travel!
Looking forward to our next adventure with you!
Thanks for the info Jeanne!