For those of you who do not know what a swather is it is a farm implement that cuts hay or small grain crops and forms them into a windrow. In Australia this is called a Windrower. This was the first farm equipment I learned to drive on. One memory of riding around on the swather was a summer with our hired hand - Carolyn - (dad always had female hired hands he said they listened better and didn't break equipment as frequently!!!!) This swather didn't have a cab and I don't even think it had a fancy glass window like the above photo. We had an umbrella so we didn't get burned to a crisp. (we eventually upgraded when dad built his own cab with air conditioner - bliss- I think farmers have all done a stint riding around with out air conditioner - I did it pregnant) So while riding up and down with Carolyn probably talking her ear off I suddenly became very quiet and she turned to look at me. A huge grasshopper had landed right on my nose!! Boy did we get a good laugh out of that. Eventually years later another hired hand Jasia taught me to drive the swather so that dad could have more help around the farm. Last summer while with my dad I saw the latest greatest swathers. Man can they fly down a field. I think my mouth dropped. I didn't even get the camera out in time. Probably a good thing we didn't have one of those when we were teenagers.
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