Ranch Manager Project/ Haying

On JH Land trust easements - indeed all over the valley - it is haying time. There is only one time here in northern Wyoming when the hay is cut, baled and stored and that time is now. It is a time of weather watching and long hours.

When shooting the above a storm threatened at dusk. In order to get the cut hay out of the wind rows and flattened so that it might dry quickly if rain did come, work went on until 10:30 pm. The storm arrived the next morning and hung around in various forms for about 5 days. When this happens the hay has to be turned again, flattened again until dry and then, again watching the skies, bales are created and carried off to the hay barn. Everybody works on a ranch and the work, it seems, is never done.

I wish the first image could be larger here. The driver, a beautiful, small and very fit ranch woman is operating that huge equipment. She has grown up on this ranch and every facet of it is also a facet of herself. I hold the greatest admiration for this woman.