The grass that's found in the hayfields, conversely, is a welcome sight. A cash crop. Much of it, being alfalfa, is technically a legume, but “what the heck”, It looks like grass and there's plenty of the real stuff mixed in with it.
 

June has seen plentiful rain, although (until recently( not overly warm temperatures. The moisture, even with the milder days, has been a godsend for the weeds. They're in full advance. This is discouraging since we had everything looking prim and proper only a month ago. I do not find weed management a productive use of time and talent, so it's rarely at the top of my 'to do' list. Still, I have a vanity about who the place presents itself to the visiting eye and, despite my reluctance, am forced to direct efforts at reversing the proliferation.

We've keep pace with the necessary law mowing. The dandelions caused me embarrassment in the spring, popping up almost as soon as they'd been cut and visibly marring that manicured look one seeks after a few hours spent atop a riding mower. But they're mostly dormant, at present.
 As for the day, ah well, there's always something to complain about. This year the aforementioned rain has made decisions on when to cut a riskier gamble than usual. Ideally, you get a couple of five-to-six days intervals in between storms that allow you to harvest the crop.

You watch the long range forecast like a soothsayer studying tea leaves. “A chance of showers” , alas, seems to be a constant qualifier with any utterance by the resident meteorologists whenever they conjecture what might happen beyond the next 24 hours. So you mentally debate, like a riverboat gambler deciding how to play his cards, whether it's wise to knock down a few acres or not.

The world does not end if th hay gets rained on. But it will not be premium stuff. Will not fetch a top dollar. The color will have a yellowish tinge and, depending own what stage of the curing process it get soaked, it ethically is not product you'd sell to a customer wishing to feed it to their horses. There can be dust inside the bale that could cause heaves.

Cows, fortunately, are not as finicky a consideration. With three stomachs and a heartier digestive system that the equine, they'll chew on just about any roughage you put in their pasture. But hay consumed by cattle is an indirect, further-down-the-road benefit to your bottom line. A check handed to you after delivering a wagon load of properly-dried hay is a more tangible and immediate reward in our dealings with grass.