Landscape in Wisconsin

Jean & Coco, on July 17, 2007, said:

I'm the first seeing this photo...very nice.

Marilyn Whiteley, on July 17, 2007, said:

Have you seen Syl's yet? Farming in parts of Canada and the United States is quite similar.

Jean & Coco, on July 17, 2007, said:

Yes I've seen it...read my comment just above... I was the first spectator...Cheers...

Ryan Calhoun, on July 17, 2007, said:

Very nice. Framed very well by the trees. And now, Marilyn, if you don't mind I'll add links back to mine and Nicolas Mertens' bales as well. Now we have a circle. :-)

Marilyn Whiteley, on July 18, 2007, said:

I'm glad ryanearth made the link. We had a dry period here, but now there's been rain, so I'll watch to see whether the fields turn green.

At 70, I'm old enough to remember the big haystacks that came before the rectangular bales! (Those bales themselves have grown larger.) And I remember being fascinated by the different styles of haying in northern Europe. I wish I'd documented it all ...

Nicolas Mertens, on July 18, 2007, said:

Marilyn, I remember also the big haystacks! It meant something "to roll in the haystack," or "to find a needle in a haystack"! Today, it seems that the method all over the world is to pack the hay in these nice, tidy, efficient cylindrical forms. Did you see wx's?

©Daniela Brocca, on July 18, 2007, said:

Hi Marilyn,I'm 52 and I too remember the haystacks we had all the sommer when I was a little girl near the Alps.I think there is not even hay anymore there,because there are no cows anymore,only new houses.Ciao Daniela

Ryan Calhoun, on July 18, 2007, said:

Hmmm... I'm 26 and the only haystacks I've ever seen are the ones at archery and firearms ranges, never at a farm. I guess mine is the hay bale generation. I wonder what will be the next innovation in hay storage and distribution? Perhaps farmers will learn the grow the hay directly into a bale shape.

Marilyn Whiteley, on July 18, 2007, said:

Thanks, Nicolas, for sending the link. Yes, I don't suppose many now understand the old expressions!

Daniela, it makes me sad to think of those hay stacks replaced by houses, but I guess it's happening all over the world.

And ryanearth, "Little boy blue" of the nursery rhyme better not be "fast asleep" under any of the hay stacks at archery and firing ranges! His haystack was loose and rounded, and reasonably comfortable (and safe), I imagine.

Even today, not all haying is done by "predator" machines "roaming the land." Look at this evocative photo by artwall.

Keith P. Luke, on July 22, 2007, said:

Beautiful composition!

©Würmer, on July 22, 2007, said:

Hi Marilyn

At 70, I'm old enough to remember the big haystacks...

hmm, I never thought of that as a question of age before -- but, I guess, it is, you are right...

I remember when the police came looking for 'the boys who burnt down the farmer-at-the-edge-of-town's haystack'...

I had nothing to do with it! Honest! (My friends went out without me that day, so I got lucky! :)

Marilyn Whiteley, on July 22, 2007, said:

But how many of those cone-shaped structures of corn stalks did you push over? (I forget the name for them.) And how many rural mailboxes did you knock down? The first could be very damaging to the farmer, but the second was a federal offense, and the police got very upset about that!! Did I? No, girls didn't do such things.

Then there's the matter of tipping over outhouses ...

©Würmer, on July 23, 2007, said:

Marilyn, it wasn't me. Honest. I've never done anything malicious in my life. Well, I rang all the doorbells in a skyscraper one night, but that was just a form of saying "howdy, folks" to people I hadn't had an opportunity of meeting before -- don't you agree?!? :-)

anyways, I just stopped by to invite Daniela and you to follow the tracks I made yesterday morning in my Morning Walk? Just a series of snapshots but it's the closest you are likely to get to Sweden today! :-)

I have a little thing going on with Wim and polytropos about shadows and reflections and, if you want to, do come play, too.

I'll think of you as I'll head for the blueberry bushes now...

Later, gator(s)!

Ainars M -1, on July 24, 2007, said:

Thank You Marilyn for inviting me visit to "hay bales photographers club"! ;-) I browsed all upper links there and can resume - all are great! I never expected before than such simple detail or better me say - 'method' to save hay, can be in common over whole world! Also greetings to all previous users there - Your stories are interesting and add nice feeling to these pictures.

I have few samples from my collection too, how we saved hay bales in Latvia. In some areas bales are keept where are, some bales can be also wrapped in fabrics. This cylindric or roll type forms (used widely over world, how I see this from Your photos) in Latvia are used only for last 15-20 years. Before there hay was pressed in cubic or paralelogram shape packs (weight about 6-10 kilos each). I will look in my private collection for any samples more, might be I show You block shaped hay stacks. With regards - ainars

©polytropos, on July 24, 2007, said:

May I join the "hay bales photographers club" with this one?

:)

©Würmer, on July 24, 2007, said:

all of Sweden seems to be infested by these --->white plastic things... ;-)

awfully boring , when compared to the older models, except, of course, when you happen to find them downtown, as I did yesterday, then they are kind of surprising ;-)