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Haystacks and Such

The picture above, probably taken somewhere in the UK a long time ago, reminds me of the haystacks I saw growing up in Ireland during the 60s and 70s. We had a rusty old hay-knife, which Mick Harrington (Ardmoyle) would sharpen with a scythe stone (also pictured below). A long haystack like this was called a reek, while a round one was called a pike.

Each and every day during the long winter months, a section of the haystack would be cut out with the hay-knife, the hay then bundled up, tied with a rope, and carried on your back to the cattle as fodder.