Beneath Billowing Clouds: A Farmer’s Tale of Timing and Toil

In the rolling pasture that stretches down to the sprawling Dalby Forest, a farmer toils under a billowy sky. In this photograph, from near Low Pasture Farm, he is seizing a precious respite from the recent rain to harvest the bounty of his fields.

In this delicate dance with nature, timing is everything. A mere trio of sun-kissed days holds the promise of salvation for his hay. Three days — that’s all it takes for the golden strands of grass to cure from a waterlogged mess to a vital sustenance for his stock through the harsh embrace of winter.

Amid a medley of fragrances, cured hay and the scent of the earth, the farmer works the very land that has sustained generations before him. Each bale his mechanical contraption binds is a testament to his toil.

Yet, it’s not just the story of the harvest that captures my interest in this photograph. High above, a blanket of quilting cotton unfolds, muffling the early morning sun. Altocumulus clouds, floating between two and seven kilometres above the earth, form an intricate pattern in the sky. Created by a difference in temperature, these clouds may foretell what weather has in store for us. But this prediction can only be known by those who can discern the subtle changes in direction between the surface and high-level winds.

And so, beneath the billowing clouds, the tractor chugged on, every so often leaving behind another bale for the farmer.