Thursday, June 30, 2011

_ell of a Day

Out the door I had gone via neighbor’s invitation for some grocery shoppen. Somebody asks if want to go, you can betch’em I go. Oh I trust Ugly about as far away as I can see it. Enough said.
Home for the legitimate lunch hour I had me a cold lunch, grabbed some cold water and was off for my Shorthorn country outback. By gum, all the troubles I had had with the Vermeer 605 yesterday was yesterday. This afternoon I finally figured out what had been done wrong or if said plainer I had dummied the operation. Today I had remembered the correct/proper procedure, intailing the taking the proper time to let the machine do its own thing in its own sweet time. What else should I expect? It’s been likely six years since I’ve used that old jewel. Anyway I got the hay baling job done for today.
Just getting into the mystery 50/50hay field coming around the first corner my mind to slow to react to bringing out my camera I saw ahead of me mom’n’pop coyote with five’r’six pups. Seeing them with one bad eye, its hard telling whether I was seeing 5’r’6 them guys. I might have seen (counted) one of them twice with my good eye. (grin) Gosh they were beautiful wild animals, beautiful, coats sleek and healthy looking varmints everyone of them. It be time I calls my varmint catcher. Oh, that was the start of my first round.
As I went about the field on my forth round happening to look out across an earlier day harvested field I saw a beautiful long legged doe looping along with her fawn near to behind her. Then oddly enough for some unknown reason (my tractor maybe?) the fawn stopped, did an about turn and disappeared. Laid down? Ran on ground low enough I couldn’t see its retreat? A moment or two later the doe returned back out to the openness of the field, Stopped once/twice each time striking a pose any Disney artist could have drawn the Bambi characters from. It was a second beautiful wildlife scene that while it only lasted mere moments the images still remain burned into my memory. May I never forget this day’s warmer moments.
Ha! Later the baler, perhaps picking up apiece of wood or such, did a jamming something or other and twisted a couple belts a-way out of alignment. Shucks! I reluctantly called it quits going to the house and farmyard. Then had to make a quick trip to shop for a come-along. With it I eased the tension upon the belts to twist them back as they should be to run true to the machines like to make again nicely rounded full tall standing hay bales. I finished all my baling, for the present.
When I had been making fix the old 605 baler I ha taken my rattlers. Enough time had passed had become famished. I ate. Supper finished I went back outside and installed a new drive chain in the newer 554 baler making it ready for next time.
The sun going down my shadow getten over forty foot tall, that was same way I was feeling having lived/experienced a good day. Oh, had I mentioned seeing turkeys and an uncountable number of wabbits? I’ll take as many more of these days as I may glean.
“RAINBOW’S”
Fernan

6-29-2011 darn problems

Yesterday had to have bit like on e those the day that was. 1st off it was close to 3:00 PM before we got the 1850 Schultz Oliver with cab mechanical animal starting as it should on it’s own. Keep in mind the batteries were 2003 models. First off there was the cleaning of all the terminals on two six volt batteries. The top battery has just managed to be under he cab’s windshield cross member. Not to bad for post cleanings. A second battery is mounted down low on the theoretic tractor frame under the deck (eeh) but making it worse we’ve built a an easier egress/digress set of three steps (replacing a once upon a time single step) for us old crippled up phart’s use. The second battery was a lot of fun tipping the bat-case out for post cleaning without it slipping and dropping. Argh! All the cells good but low on water, the battery water replenished there was no easy way to jump start that diesel engine. It was just as I had predicted the previous evening we needed new batteries. So Bro’s was off and running for new batteries from a Flint wholesaler. They’d not be easy to acquire from a guess by gosh loco retailer.
Battery changing tool on a whole new set of issues. The top battery behind the dash weren’t going to come out until we’d removed the light switch, the cigarette lighter (unneeded anyway) and disconnecting some throttle linkage. The second battery way down under was another mater. After I had cleared the terminals, tipping it down, unable to hold it, it got away from me. With a thump the battery box battery included hit the ground.
Reversal the process the top battery was relative easy the light switch and throttle linkage an easy re-installation. The lower battery was something else to even come close to moving/mounting that battery anywhere close to its mount. Luckily I happened to have two of those black plastic molasses livestock feeding tubs aboard the Ugly truck. Stacking them upside down with a tool box between them the were near high enough once I had wrestled the loaded battery case through the steps, including my arms to preliminarily park the whole thing on the upturned tub bottom. From there it took both of us, Shane and I, to wrestle that case gingerly upon its mounts. There I held it as Shane scramble to Ugly for a couple boards, a med-length 1”x4” and a 4‘ long “2x4”. These boards in turn appropriately used both had played their parts. First battery installation the posts bolting doing them on the edge the 1“x3“ was handy. Bolting the battery box to the frame (gear case) beautifully held it for the box bolts. I’’ add the boards were used on the inside edge the to step for a fulcrum. It followed two big “Whew’s.” 1st the batteries trickily installed, 2nd-ly the Ollie engine immediately started up as it should have could.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Between 2:00 and 3:00 PM’s we broke for a leisurely lunch. The it was nuts! Real nuts, just what I needed, I started experiencing some restless leg syndrome. Good gosh, just what I needed know if this continued or luckily quit I saw muscle spasms coming later. I got into my Valium supply to ward off any projected discomfort. It isn’t easy trying to rationally, even easy, to find such a pill and a glass of water enveloped during those first moments and then hanging in there until the delayed action the pill kicks in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was about 3:00 PM Shane riding shotgun to learn the workings one the hay balers we took it to my out back. What a night mare. Near as I can figure two things had gone wrong. Not the baler. Half the problems were operator related, My trying to feed to much hay into the baler’s hay pick up. That problem solved the next fields regardless my ground modified speeds I experiences plug after plug after plug. I could only find to things wrong each involving the other. The hay had become to, what to, dry at 13.2% moisture content plus so dried it had become silky like feeling making it to slippery for the baler to move it cleanly about inside the baler, thus more plugs. Myself about losing it I quit the hay baling at about 8:00 PM before I totally lost in disgust and did something stupid. I’m not immune.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then I forgot to take my rattlers (stupid). I was hungry and wanted food now when I walked in my door. Before I could wait out the two hours to take my rattlers I was fast asleep The sweat little kitten keeping me company. Good gosh almighty I’m back into my pill rattler routine throwing half a coumadin dose to hopefully sneak in a bit of catching up the meds.
This was it, my day, quite honestly, I was exhausted; batteries, restless leg, baler plugs as I hadn’t had this season, and forgotten rattlers. Counting my blessing Frieda was good and all the Ladies were where they were supposed to be. I slept like a log.
“Rainbows.”

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Repeats

What is it about some of the better dumb stunts a body can do? I’m one individual who’s capable of performing the really classical repeat performances. Take for instance I couldn’t remember what I had done with yesterday’s morning. Well, I’ve done it again. I’ve no idea what I did with my entire morning today either. Sheesh!
Uh! How about I rake a small stab at a couple this morning’s activities. Was honestly surprised we had gotten much rain evening last with it’s highly poured all over us start. Checking some windrows, a couple days they’ll be dried out again including the field we hadn’t raked a first time. This last field (the magic field) it has gone beyond the rake-able moment. 50/50 legume and grass A rake now we’d loose the highly prized legume leaves.
Okay here it comes: Yesterday morning stepping into the barn to feed the cats, there in by the entry stood an odd colored kitten. My reaching down to pick it up for a closer look. It made a flat foot leap straight up in the air and when its feet hit the floor it was gone. I didn’t even have a chance to see which way it had gone.
This morning the same kitten was in the very vicinity where I feed the cats daily. I reached down and picked up the kitten. My success was short lived. Seeing the poor critters eyes caked matter shut the kitten had no chance getting away from me. So…., I took the poor thing up to the house for Frieda to tend. Coming back a couple hours later that animal had turned our home into its own, clear eyed and all, even taking Frieda to her own. The kitten so darn thin and scrawny Frieda had me open a can condensed milk and poured a bowl some.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Afternoon we’re on the road. Shane wanting to see me the tractor and rotary mower in action and how it goes was going also. For our afternoon’s entertainment I headed back to that same field I had buried this tractor and mower in about three weeks ago. Having mowed most the field thinking I had avoided the sinister wet spot, it had found me again when I was only minutes away fro being done. We must have spent the next two and one half hours pulling the gone after 4-180 White tractor. Batteries in 1850 Schulz Ollie dead we ran Ugly out of gas trying to futilely charge the batteries enough to restart Ollie to finish the mow and go home. So then it was another trip home our only running ride the 180-4 we traded off for the Cushman loaded with gas cans and funnels. It was 8:00 PM when I finally made it home including answering Frieda’s Cell-ing me to even stop and borrow two beers from a neighbor. Oh, the things/matters/messes I get myself into.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Monday, June 27, 2011

My put together Day

Damnifiknow or remember what I did this morning? I do know that by 1:30 PM Shane and I were going to rake three out of the four stands of hay I had previously cut. And as we each noticed while three quarters a mile between us about to undertake raking the hay previously downed three days ago we were getting sprinkled on. Nuts, I moaned and groaned, and thought to heck with it, maybe the rain will quit or actually get with it. No communication between us, we had each figured we’d get on with it and see what developed and went on our individual ways.
Two guys raking hay three fields didn’t take long to these jobs done.Although the hay was raked in good time more time was still needed to let the hay dry. Thus we unloaded some small square bales off one hay wagon onto a couple pallets to keep them off the ground. The next thing I failed at was to have properly tarped the top of the pile to keep it relatively dry. (nuts) Wagons ready to go Shane and I took to my back fields to load the wagon. The Duck Lake pastured cleared (whoopee) I can electric fence post and hot wire it. Maybe tomorrow. Mosquitoes aught to be good and thirsty by then. That’d be my luck.
Two loads of hay theoretically stacked in my hay yard It was time to check hay for dryness. A quick trip to the corner, Oh yeah, I had better get on it. The baler from home I had finished up the field where an 1850 Schultz Ollie had lost a hydraulic hose. Field done.
Returning home the first check of the bottom’s hay (very low often wet location). The stuff a-top the east rim was bal-able. Checking the field behind a line of oaks wasn’t ready yet. So I took on the high bottom’s rim. Was making good time until the Baler squealed in protest. It had jammed. Worse yet it had thrown a drive chain. A familiar chain at that. This chain and I have spent a lot of time together. Proof? There’s got to be a near half dozen repair links (or master links) be jeweling that chain that has been so close to my heart in the past. Forget it. The big baler was standing idol and in no immediate need of fixing again (yet). Shane’s volunteered drive (drafted) I brought the old Vermeer 605F home. Having just gotten the mechanical beasts through the gates rain drops landing puddles the size of quarters, we looked at each other wondering, do we chance it heading out. A single moment’s hesitation between us we were dumped on. I’d sure liked to have made three more dryly baled hay rounds. Such is a farmer’s gambling luck. Well, at least for us, our location, the weather’s been a better blessing to live with than a drought.
At A loss for more words I’m closing out this account for the night. Sleep tight.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Quick norning update

It’s not often I‘m any to quick. Just wanting to complete last evening’s urinal entry sliding on home base during my daily game of life. So, I’m gonna strike at a couple issues crossing our homes plate. Over a phone call between collaborators, Far, Sneaky Pete’s, older brother and I talked about truck rental options for, Sneaks, move. So, Far is about to price a one and two way adventuring move for Sneak. Now Sneak wants Far to ride with him as he don’t want to drive alone. WHAT? Sneak’s wanting a long haul trucking career is skidish about a 200 mile crossing peninsular jaunt bounded on both sides by wet water?! Now if he were to take the right road (M57) it’ll end some 70 miles short his getting his feet wet. Oh what the heck, got to have some fun with my boys.
Last thing I did for myself lat night, feeling a couple cramps coming on in both my legs calves I took a Valium. IT worked exceptionally well. Not only had I avoided sufferin' a couple mean calf grabbing unwanted attention cramps I slept like a log waking later than usual this morning. Taking on board my rattlers first, A quick sit down to wit this, dress in participation to choke down a quick milked down breakfast, I got to get out of here. Finding ladies evening last where I hadn’t meant them to be, I’ve got some fences to ride.
Oh yeah….., Shane having assisted in the AC’s hay-rake last night’s tidying up, as soon as the dew has dried off this AM we both’ll take to field raking hay, my hopefully able to make a whole bunch of dry hay bales across four fields.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ONE 1900/1500* pound RANT:
When the sun was creeping down low beyond the western tree lines, Shane and I up righted a couple tipped over hay bales. Cussed cretins unknowingly thinking they were acting smart could have caused some endangering field fires. How? I’ll tell ya how! Tipped up on edge their flat side up, the rounded surfaces no longer acting like the inner bales centers, they could very possible not over be mold filled ruined but could well chance soaked in enough unwanted rain water to cause those bales to go through another heat perhaps becoming hot enough to combustably burst into flame. Pranksters thoughtlessly could have denied some animals their winter feed and started field fires as well endangering wildlife and people their homes and property.
Sheesh! I can’t believe I’ve written this whole thing. I’d better make this an early morning posting and wit another entry for this evenings urinal report….!!!!
“Rainbows.”
Fernan
*1900/1500 pound = *Wet/dry poundage’s.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Hey I’m a Rake

Frieda and I both slept good last night. Woke up to sunshine. Did the usual breakfast thing, her her’s and me mine.
Early morn phone call the bovine youngsters in adjacent pens were being problem off-spring, The girls were at a gate egging a singular bull on. He (the bull) was trying to climb the gate. Oh Lawd, Spring romance scents were in the air. I had to muster it up and hit the road to do something about it.
On the scene I quickly fixed hot wire anchorages and strung hot wires. There’s something about a hot wire discourages a many elicit behavior in addition to keeping the populace honest and at home.
After a cold lunch, I went back down the road, this time to do something right or wrong with my favorite AC* hay rake. Move it up to the shop and take it apart. I moved up to the shop alright; and, and without kibitzers (on looking know it alls) I sat down with the AC’s owners manual, its diagrams, my comfortable chair, and looked from one thing to the other and back again. Up and down from my chair I looked again and again at the machines working a hand on this gear or the basket moving things to’n’fro. Ah ha, I figured it out, the missing (lost) parts that had caused the machine to fail doing its hay raking thing. Then it was how to take it apart. I repeatedly studied both ends the reel, and decided to merely remove four bolts for a bearing suport. Then I pushed, shove, and pried on Hell of a lot to spread the basked away from the drive geared end exposing the areas for missing parts. I made a new key for the one missing and rounded up two bolts that help hold the whole of the mechanism together. The key in place the real fun began driving the two ends together. I had managed to close two-thirds the distance the major parts needed to go together, then failure. I needed another hand. I drafted Jake (4H kid). I gave him a heavy hammer and a hardwood block and showed him where he could have himself a swinging good time. I stuck a bar in the other end for back up and Jake drove the pieces together. Hungry I broke for supper. It’ll be a mere snap to finish up the wrenching when I got back to it. With two working hay rakes I should have my baling done before tomorrow night’s forecasted rains. ‘Tain’t nothing like doing-it/working-it down to the wire.
One or two more lines: Home and in 9:25 PM. The AC hay rake is fully functional and parked in a hay field along my way home. Pulling into the driveway I see my ladies where they don’t belong! What the? I do a temporary fix on a segment of fence making sure their boundary’s closed in for the night, so’s they are where they belong, somewhat. Well, at least inside some form of boundary. (grin)
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Tyre’s Trouble

That leaking rim I wrote about last night? Bro’ welded on it seven times the seven times I broke it down after finding another leak each time we had put it back together. ‘Tws 1:00 PM when I’d/we’d finished getting that rim with a brand new tire on it to quit leaking and holding air!
Was fishy what I had for lunch, with cheezy scalped tators, bread and butter pickles with a corn muffin.
Along about 1:45 PM I went to mowing hay. Right or wrong rain Monday-nite/Tuesday-morn may or may not happen. Gonna cut like I got a weeks dryin’ weather. Who’s knows? I just might?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roughly 2:00 PM on I went to cutting hay. Left Ugly in last field I had baled hay and went to mowing the remainder 4 acres hay left there. Those 4 acres will take three days drying provided we have no weather guesser’s forecasted rains Monday/Tuesday. Next I headed for home taking on mowing the bottoms working my way into the wettest center. Somewhere in there I hit a rock taking out five rotary turtle blades. Yeah sure. Ugly’s 3/4mile away. Traffic on our road all morning likely. Working the fields I’d been seeing deer, turkeys, a coyote, numerous song birds even heard the hoot of an owl. Now that I’m hoofing it there weren’t a motorist in sight. I walked the whole distance. Noticed dragging hay wagon all four tires all up. Oddly enough watching that right rear corner the wagon that’s the corner that extra heavily series of holes were welded shut. That wheel so out of balance the wagon following Ugly is, one happily hippity hoping along liken a Colorado Jack-a-lope, and secondly likely has the SMV* plate on the wagon’s back a shacking a constant blur could cause any following motorist to wonder about his sight. Getting back to the mower after having gone shop for mower parts it weren’t but about a half hour making fix and I was back to teasing that mower towards the lower wetter watered collection site. Finishing there unstuck while was ahead I’d guess this area mowed 5 acres. It’ll take at least 4days to dry this including the use of a hay raking.
Moving right along moved the machinery through a standing row of old oaks to a broken in back field another 4 acres downed, this cut light enough may dry in four days without a raking.
Lastly I took on the that way out back magic alfalfa/orchard-grass 50/50% mix. 25/30 years it’s been there dependable as sure as the Sun’ll come up each morning. That 5acre cut was heavy, the heaviest I can ever remember its grown strong on all our Spring rains. This field could take all of five days drying. A rake may be needed to help it at that.
Getting in at 8:00 PM I was hungrier than a Spring bear. Make that a bear cub. I didn’t eat all that much although I had the durndest craving for a whole refrigerated can of halved Apricots all to myself. Hmmm good, Wished that can a little bigger….but then it might made for a fast first call come morning. Might be a good idea cut me off a chunk of cheese.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Youngest son ready to come up on the farm and help us. I could use his help house and field wise. There’s plenty for him to do around her while he looks for his dream job from here.
Now, all I got-a do is figure out how my going to go get him. Maybe leave early one afternoon my driving down there the backroads. Come home next morning, Sneaky Pete, doing the driving us back. Got another idea…maybe rent a truck. Then I needn’t worry about whether Ugly will make it both ways? Or maybe Sneak rents a truck one way. Hmmm, Guess I’d better make some phone calls….to see what’s cooken?
“Rainbows.”
Fernan
*SMV = Slow Moving Vehicle sign.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Tired

Tired of rain and pain. Frieda continues to improve. At least she is some more mobile. Me, I’m busy most the time. Continued rain depresses me and excuse enough to cause me to goof off, lay around. Once again took on a hay wagon tire repair. He whole process didn’t take to long. Although, while I thought I was near finished spraying some soapy water over the tire and its meeting the rim I had made a successful tubeless tire mount on an old rim….yada yada yada…. Then I got bubbles in a wrong place. There’s a pinhole in the rim's steel. Nuts, I’ll have the unvarnished pleasure of taking the mount a-part again. Meanwhile the borrowed wheel and tire is now on the hay wagon for a couple more days instead of returned to its rightful owner. Bah Humbug!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Working late enough, I got caught up into this evening’s cattle round-up. Eight more Ladies will join those done last night. Lootilace shots plus heat indicators contact cemented to the tops of the ladies pelvis bone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And the weather the ever longer deeper depressing rains continue wearing on both my mind and body.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Unsettled

Everything’s unsettled, been that way the last couple/three days: Frieda’s stomach, whole being for that matter; the weather boiling in repeated cycling cycles slowly circling eastward over a wide range of the continent; and my inability to out guess the elements to make more accurate beneficial use of my time. Summer’s so short as it is and this year’s wet weather while it is exceptionally helpful stimulating the growth of life sustaining crops, the exceptionally wet weather is also an un-time-able occurrence hindering the useful harvest these crops. Problems galore plague this body unwilling to slowly fad away obscured under the tell tail vintages of age telling graying hairs, smokes, thickening slower acting gray maters slowen thinking and reactions piled over under weakening clouds of old age.
Then add to this dissertations these questions and ignoring. Why must aging be debilitating? Why must the individual mental storehouses be ignored by the young who could learn so much slow much quicker from these age vessels of mistakes once made and corrected. Why are these mind contained body‘s so ignored for the stories and lessons we could relate of life’s truths, ways, and means wasted in ignore-action? Where has the helpful respect for the slower aged be ignored-avoided by the young who could easily gleem so much useful knowledge from an open book rather than an un questioning hard covered book. Hereabouts thought the populace the old minds linger in unused useless gathering cobwebs mistakenly ignored/mis-thinking the old are useless upon the simple reflections of worn tiring bodied men and women.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weather wise we seem to have a great big low pressure system several miles across just a going in circles with in itself. Every time it turns around it seems to be getting us extra wet with its every passing over us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I swear I think the whole of the Shorthorn country troops, old and new, stay awake nights just a thinking up stuff to either keep me busy fixing or re-fixing it whatever they may dream up at any one or more times.
Push come to shove, the last bit of genius, while changing a tire for drag, I had asked Shane if the tire was clean on the inside and ready for use. He assured me it was. I took his word for it. This tire the bead a bit beat up it was bad enough it’d never seal used in a tubeless mode. Neither was the rim in any better shape more than used enough with a tube type tire. Checking the shelf had on hand just the inner tube needed. So I put it together. That was a job especially with 36” tyre irons While their length makes then real handy leverage wise. Let one of them slip and slapping a body up-a-side the head is a real attention getter. So it was I commenced to air up the new inner tube in a freshly mounted tire. I thought the job going well until suddenly just as the sidewall were abut to fill out and the compressed air was about to set the bead….Spisssssh….I had more air coming out around the valve stem than I was putting inside the tire. Disgusted I set the whole non goodly messed up something or other aside. It was a good time to quit and work on this tire fixing another day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning I took on the second repair for a second flat tire on the 1st same rim with all the zeal I was going to get it right today. Opps, The tire fixing was second my activity right after I had checked all the fences first. They were alright for being wet. As for the tire once I got into it, prying my….never mind, I’ll not go that vocabulary way inept of the fact I wanted to spit some of the tire studs outlawed back in the ‘70’s. Regardless my manors, prying away with those tire irons just to get at removing the inner tube it crossed my mind I was glad we had one healthy supply of tire patches and cement. Leave it to me to muck it up, for I had thought I’d pinched the inner tub with a tire iron putting the whole thing together. Removing the valve stem was just as difficult coming out as it was going in. The tube out, aired up, I found I hadn’t pinched it. Hooray for my side. But what was letting it collapse? A moments pass and my fingers felt a draft. I had found the hole. An un-pinched hole. No tire iron had done this damage. The tube hadn’t come pre-holed either. I ran my hand around the inside the tire. Ouch, I found it. The tire had taken into its tread a once upon a time an ultra fine all purpose wood screw. Nut’s only yesterday somebody else looking this very tire over had told me it was clean and ready to go. Hmmm, so much for not checking the tire for myself. Well there it was. An all to dig it scarcely high enough I got a long handle pair of nippers on it pulling it out. Meanwhile, the inner tube had been well scratched earlier, cemented, and set aside to dry. It was the moment of truth. I applied it over the hole and diligently rolled the wheeled stitcher hard over the patch both ways. When all was ready I wrestled that who knows why extra long valve stem again into the rim and tire. A bit more time with the same tire irons and an additional block of wood and walla I had it all together. Imagine my satisfaction when I applied air it all had come together as I had wanted it to the first time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Afternoon I shimmed a Vermeer 605 relief valve. Ready to go again I parked it out of the way. Changed wheel on drag, put it back into its farmyard slot. Went over the hill and found my choice replacement tire for a hay wagon’s bum tire replacement. Any trouble with this tire fix I’ve still got Mr Rogers front tractor tire. Home, that new tire needin’ hay wagon awaits tire change and use or is it use and then tire change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My rattlers taken the wagon in use I picked up a near dozen tubs full of grass what I should have been gotten two days ago. Well, when I feed them out tomorrow the ladies shall either find what good there’s in them or it’ll all make hummus. It’s a win-win either way or some of both. And not to be disappointed its raining again on top the 2” we’ve already gotten. When the sun shines again there be no blade of grass standing safe from my mowing machine. (grin) A tractor’s standing in one field to finish. I’ve got one field out back broken in ready for the fast mow. And, there’s another field I had gotten stuck in on Dodge road to go back to. This ain’t mentioning the two alfalfa fields, plus about thirty or more six miles away satellite field I should be able to bury at least three tractors in. Now that we’ve gotten all this week’s rain providing all the seed hasn’t drowned we’ll have a couple stands of Sudex to mow, bale and wrap by 1st week of August.
I can tell it like it is, Farming is so cussed exciting I can spit right back at all this rain if I don’t drown first. As for domestic duty around here, I’ve had it. It’s nada! I’m gonna sit by and try ignoring all the arthritis’s who’s names I’ve forgotten; while, I keep punchin’em where they hurt.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Lots-a-got-a’s

Halleluiah, the pressure cooker finally blew its lid. The ain pour out all over us last night up to an inch and a half tunes dripping off the eves. Sure’s a welcome cooling the weather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now onto the more important’s. First waking grabbers taking firm grips both calves I made my way to my Valium bottle. Glug-glug it was first one pill then the sorted lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the weather. Just did some my own predicting, it could possibly rain some more tomorrow. I can wait that out. Besides what all that rain we’d had just last night must dry off some before cutting into more the crops. Come Thursday threats of more high or low heaven’s waters I’ll just a be cutting it up. I’m seeing (thinking) three days drying weather a coming sure. In the meanwhile’s I’ve got to seriously resign myself to take this drippy weathering occasion to seriously do some house work as it seems, not mentioning another’s name around here, she’s has had a couple/three un-depends-ables failing their missions were a couple embarrassing fall outs around here yesterday ; and now again already today. Now my approach making the house somewhat questionably cleaner in where do I start? At the kitchen sink and work my way down to the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of course I’ve other maters to attend to. The Drug transport tire need some serious fixing so I may return Mt’ Rogers tractor tire. The hay wagon tire will hold up as long as long as I carry some canned air for the slightly leaking hay wagon tire. And of course finish readying the 1850 Schulz Ollie for making more hay cuts day after noon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Got me one worry whether I will experience it or how I’ll survive an inevitable case of household generated housemaid’s knee.
Time right by the wall clock’s shyness covered face its still give away the fact its hands still let slip I may do my breakfast.
While I’m pondering house keeping should I ear my dirtiest clothing as it needs laundering anyway. Decisions-decisions!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
As its happening………
1st mid-morning break time:
Backing up the mop bucket; I’ve got some the dishes half done, the othe half soaking. Half the kitchen sink counter has been shoveled off and washed clean. I’ve got one load laundry in the go, anther of two more ready to go. My floor’s mop water’s made up, and this scullery maid has broken for tea!
2nd take: Now getting back to the English Tea (wit-out UK cream but wit one USA lump sugar) I had forgotten to enjoy earlier.
Well, over 2/3rd’s dishes done, waiting through a hot cup modified English Tea to start some offal-ed laundry all over again. Sheesh, this laundry’s busy-ness is looking like going to take all day.
Next domesticity attack I believe will come from a loaded right shouldered armed broom. Animal husbandry crap is much easier to take care of. Give me back straw bedding, a pitchfork, and an old fashioned compost pile.
3rd take: Same laundry load going again, As much soap as I’m using Proctor and Gamble will be working nights. I’ve gotten most the dishes done save for a cookie sheet lazily lay on its back soaking. This batch dishes air dried other end of counter that end may well get my attention these floors are going to need repeated attention. Mop bucket already loaded wit Spi’n’Span plus a one-half glog bleach…. Did I ever mention I hate moping floors?
4th take: Over half available* floors swept and mopped I’ve got areas either soaking or drying. I’m gaining on it. Trying to interest Herr Mostess in maybe a couple poached eggs on toast. She’s says eggs may not be any good. All the more reason I want to fix her up. If she survives I’ll make myself some.
5th take: been called got some cattle taken care of to do. A head gate to relocate, and I want that 1850 Shultz tractor running and working as it should again. Why, I might even cut some more hay yet this evening.
Have one load laundry in drier, third and forth wash going in the auto-washer. Floors have been sanitized at least once. Want to make Crossroads trip for new mop.
Rant: What is it I buy lifetime rubber spongy mop handled product when I go back for a new mop head, its not been renewed but redesigned to no longer fit my handle. Arrggghhhh!!!!!
Lunch running late I got to eat and go. Kitchen looking better than it has for at least a week (short lie). Sucks, I got to dress and take out of house for awhile. Frieda’s keeping peach soda down. Later…….
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home again after a rewarding and disappointed afternoon’s efforts to get something’s done. 1st stop 1850 Shultz tractor, I did to it in 30/35 minute what might have taken me an hour’n’half evening last including finding lost wrench with a small magnet in a place I couldn’t see. Went onto shop doing that end’s chores. Then went to woik on drag tire. Got the old tire off a rim to badly oxidized to mount a tire tubeless on it. Put in a brand new inner tube pinching it in the process so I can fix it allover again tomorrow. NUTS!!!
Weather? Was sunny when I finished Shultz Ollie expecting to mow more hay this evening. Ha-ha! Ho-ho! We experienced some rather heavy thunderstorms more than a couple times this afternoon. Heard weather sirens going off as all radio and TV broadcast media interrupted programming to issue severe storm warnings. I’m weather guessing I wont be making hay for a couple days. Where’s this stuff coming from?
I’ve got my laundry going strong. Fifth load ready when washing machine ever becomes available again. I took a good wetting down this afternoon presoaking my work wear.
Gosh! Looking at live Doppler weather maps storm fronts are passing through our area in waves. The sun vividly shining one rain no colorful rainbows were observed.
Now that I’m in and hungry I’m fighting sleep. I’ve got an idea I’ll be an easy Sandman target this evening…..
“Rainbows.”
Fernan
*Available….. meaning no moving furniture.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

1st Day Summer

Was a day like any other in Shorthorn country. Brother down multiple reasons from 1998 accident I was it for the day. Offered a ride into a near by city I took it. Made a couple stops, picked up 5 gal cans motor oil and trans-draulic fluid. Hit Wally World for grocery’s, specifically our ice-creams and 4 gal milk this time. Checked on a oxygen bottle cart to no avail. Got home about lunch time. Ate cold dinner. Called Doc’s office for blood check letting. Picked up Shane made 4010 with drag road worthy delivering same to shop’s farmyard. Made way to Doc’s. He’d had to been lonesome wanting to talk to me. Back home for tea time I took my 5:00 PM rattlers getting them out of my way. Picked up Shane again. We worked on downed 1850 Schultz Ollie installing new replacement oil line by 7:30 PM and a little after. Home 8:00 PM and sitting on my can. Got-a warm me a supper surprise*.
8:00 AM to 7:30 PM is a long day enough. Will finish Schultz Ollie enough to cut more hay tomorrow. Must remember to carry flash-lite for looking lost wrench and replacement tires for drag and a hay wagon. Weather today cool morning, three ultra brief immeasurable rain showers, afternoon with every Sun’s appearance made for excessively steamy sticky hot suffering. Lucked out Ollie work was during the cool of the evening.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan
*(Supper surprise? I haven’t looked nor heated it up yet!)

Monday, June 20, 2011

For KC:

Hi KC:
(I know I was never ever going to do these things again. But, a good story has got to be told. And, here it is.)

I’ve been recently working some ground near here for a summer’s sudex hay planting. This morning I put the final touches on the field in preparation for planting the seed. While I broadcasteda mix of seed and fertilizer every time I stepped down from the tractor to check the equipment. Doing so each time I checked the fertilizer spreader, the seed’s delivery I picked up all these odd looking dimpled eggs in gobs and bunches all over the field. It is as if these weird golf creatures had been nest the last couple days. Or, maybe while I was working the ground perhaps I had uncovered them buried to let the warm earth to hatch out like Michigan turtles or displaced Georgian gators.
What I want to know is what you think about my attempt to incubate these things to see what comes out and at what temperatures at that?
Photobucket
“Rainbows.”
Fernan ;^)
Season’s change
Egad, seems summer has snuck up on me Again. One would think these things would be remembered when his Birthday, an honest down to earth Father’s Day holiday, and the last day of Spring is celebrated with an equinox fan-faring in the first day of Summer. Now, lets get it right. (grin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My day’s purpose had direction this morning. Turning west out the drive I directed my attention to that satellite field some couple mile NW as a sober crow might fly. There I finished leveling part of working that ground for planting. The earth prepared I Ugly let me drive back home to take an 1850 Ollie off the Currently working 554 Vermeer round baler. A fine running tractor freed of one burden was quickly harnessed another, a gravity box containing mixed together seed and fertilizer. This mix Broadcast over the field the assumed amount to do the job had come out just right. The Ollie parked for the moment, no need to run it right away, I made some lightening the spring toothed drags depths for dusting in the sudex seed. Finished it was a due south bound emptied box delivery back to the elevator.
The lucky Ollie relieved of its temporary tow I returned it home to it’s exalted position on the front the 554. Lunch time it was nearing 1:00 PM and I didn’t such a lungful awaited lunch as I had eaten yesterday for I had missed one my meals unless it that bit of desert I enjoyed shortly before retiring.
Lunch devoured quickly The 1850 leading my herded way we had a downed hay cut in immediate need of balling. Between my aching bones, the crispy feeling of the cool humidity permeating the air I do believe I had Finished my hay balling just in time. Upon return home The were tell tale signs my farmyard had experience so isolated raindrops while I was gone. Getting onto 4:00 PM I had the 4010 to go back to for making it travel ready. No word upon a heraldic line fix, seems I needn’t worry about it this afternoon. However, feeling exceptionally tired and achy all over, I laid down for a few minutes waking better than three hours later. Then way to late to recast my voo doo bones for a reading to fit the situation. What the…. I’ve earned a rest.
Gruesome photo
Photobucket
Sorry about this last part. No, not too vary sorry. Life and death are a common farm’s living occurrence
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Father’s Day

Frieda’s still sleeping. She’s doing more and more sleeping all the time. I’m setting here all alone thinking I’d be better finding me a note book to make daily lists everything I want to rapid freely say for her benefit when she’s up. It isn’t she’s tired exactly, she wears herself out finding it so very hard to get her breath.
A couple things have changed for me. One of them when I retired last night it was my nose itching and my eyes running. So what? So waking late this morning, I Must have had a busier day that I realized my waking so much later than usual this AM, 7:00 AM. Gosh and then I suffered sitting up right cause here it comes again, the Spring lately runny nose and the back to recent normal itching eyes.
The sun has risen and it looks so pretty out side. When I’ve waited my hour and eaten, I’m out of here. The ground grain sits in it’s wagon box at the end of the ramp ready to roll. Just a Quarter mile down the road Juan’s probably got as many as a dozen two bushel tubs filled with grass waiting for me. I might just as well pick up those tubs when rolling by along my way.
Ah what to do today? Deliver ground grain naturally comes first fastened to Ugly truck. Been sitting here putting together needs for tomorrow morning? How about freeing a Oliver tractor for a combined fertilizer/seed broadcasting. I’m feared it’s going to be the Indy Ollie. Though this Ollie needs the rebuilt hy-drive I’m going to take the old baler off it’s back. Groan. The waste of a pretty day the shop needs some picking up. Everything dropped in the door way this last month it is one tricky passage steppin’ through the stuff to walk(?) into the shop. In that mess I’ve got a couple five gallon cans to carefully remove the lids off them and then skim the good oils off them having let the contents stand to settle out contamination some years ago. All of a sudden lubrication prices near off the planet averaging around $8.00@gallon. What I can’t save I’ll bottle in easily handled two quart juice containers saving them just for quickie winter woodstove fires. Liquid kindling’s I call these brews.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HEY! I got it. For something really needing doing I should get into some wood cutting. Lets see? I need to unload wood (literally) pallets for firewood storage on. Got a couple three/four/five trees down in the tenant house barnyard to cut up.
OR attack the broken AC multi speed pto driven hay rake. Choices always choices. It is a wonder a body don’t worry wear-out a perfectly good brain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Holy Heavens to Mergatroid!… Her Mostess, Herr Clink, my best friend, my lover, my bestess all around playmate, my confidante, my world’s center, the elastic glue having always pulled me home, the one so full of surprises I’d lost any possible way of counting…… Frieda’s up, sitting but a yard (36”) away from me. I said, “Well!”
“Well what?” she answered.
I mentioned something about missing her, her in her horizontal resting…. And our conversation faded away just like that. I wish she’d yell or holler, something! Did I mention she’s good fighter and oh so much fun making up with. There were so many instances it took hours to make up whether there‘d been some thing to make up for or not. Was the time it didn‘t take anything to get it on. Unless it were an in the way kiddy delay? Then it might have been one of those times it was us against them. (grin)
On the road by 8:00 AM I took to cleaning up the shop. Gosh, I don’t remember leaving all that stuff in the big doorway. It were getting on 1:00 PM and hungry, Bro’ shows up dawning his day. He needs help with a couple things, needs old baler parked in front of shop, and I’m celled, You’ve got a calf out!” Great Bro’s priorities, mine, now a wayward yearling heifer. This means a fence needs fixing. I fixed fence for four solid hours postponing lunch already. The time I got home, so hungry I passed up on the rattlers opting to take them two hours after eating. And, whatever it was I had heated up for myself was filling. Don’t know what it was but it was filling. Then it was off to the races. I’ve got to bale what hay I’ve already cut in my backyard. Sheesh that hay I had cut where the Ollie had broke down will be ready for baling when I’ve finished this home cut. Getting late by that time that last field may have to wait until tomorrow.
What a day tomorrow’s going to be. Starting out a tractor short to seed and fertilize. Must drag last worked field twice before and after seeding. Then that hay field I can’t get to tonight I must fit in tomorrow. And hopefully that busted part will be fixed and needing put back on tractor, plus mustn’t forget the lost hydraulic fluid must be replenished.
And, if I ain’t got enough to do I patently listen to some idiotic arm-chaired want-a-be farmer try and tell me what I aught to be doing.
The time I came moving to my own beat I was anything but waltzing to a popular tune. If I were to take the time to wind the clock I’d finished that by 8:00 PM.
I’m draggin' arse so slow, by the time I finish this and post it I’ll want my bed and sleep. Nope, there was no skimming oil, no unloading pallets, no wood chopping, nor even studying AC hay rake. All I can say if I could see to read this over the top my up lipped yawn……
“Rainbows.”
Fernan
PS: Only, Sneak, would appreciate this comment, “He’s no idea how hard I worked today to have missed his phone call.” (grin)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

What to do….
Other than boasting my age my way a couple times my life's gift day I was to busy to get out, get off, or rally a proper celebration. What’d I do? By time I got in, got free, and relaxed, I lasted long enough to eat my supper and immediately fell asleep. So much for an old coot's BirthDay celebration. Thank You everyone for the burped day wishes.
I’ve a special I love you Thank You for parents, a long time gone so many years, missing this.
Is true, I thought about what my Father and Mother had given, sacrificed, and learned me. I’d never gotten here without them. I had been truly blessed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve checked four weather reports again. I don’t believe them. Looking ove a couple national maps, unable to hay wit broken tractor, I may work and plant another one time Summer hay field.. Hmmm, just in case one of us is wronger than the other three. (LOL)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Good morning.” she’d said. “Feel any older?” she’d asked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having waited out my rattlers, ‘tis time to eat, dress and hit the fields. All’s ready to go. Day freed of haying, got ground work and plant. 8:00AM until later…..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Vassar Rd. site crop land attacked with 2150’s full bore gust I had it worked up in less than two hours. The 4010 JD I had asked for has never arrived, my having to go go for it myself. It was a simple turn around disk parked my yard the drag was my turn around drive. Half way field’s return Murphy had gotten on board blowing out drag’s built in transport tire. Not having spare like rim’n’tire of our own I made an unrecognizable phone call disguised as a rest break in the heat. Mr. Roger’s had one. (grin) It’d be the same tire and rim I had borrow off his tractor a couple years ago to haul our hay crop in. Viva la Mr. Roger’s, he’s also the elevator owner I had visited first thing this AM for grinding supplements. Sorry I had forgotten to mention that was first thing. As it worked out when that tire blew I had rolled to a stop under a very shady roadside tree. The tree took some of the sting out the sun’s boiling my blood or was it extract? It also happened while I had removed all six lug nuts with a 32” by an 1½” torque amplifier. Now add a gentleman across the street watching over the scene brought out a sledge hammer to knock off the rim. Next he hauled out his compressor and power cord to the end of his drive bringing with him an air wrench. Crossing the street he had brought with him an air hose and helped me mount the borrowed spare. His help eased some of the flattened tire bite.
On to the field dropping the drags wings we found one radius rod about going to rub or hinder the new spare’s free rolling. Nut’s it was back to the shop to include picking up my truck and 8 tubs grass clipping for some bovine treats. They go for this stuff like it were fresh salad. Shucks, I missed a golden opportunity to picture the method* we’d used to straighten that strut.
Strut loaded on Ugly’s back along with a can of oil for hydraulics the JD’s steering had gotten sticky during this morning’s drive. And Having called Mr’ Rogers with an added explanation our failure to get back to his place of business he had said we wanted to do something else. Hey, to hold onto such a friendship far be it from me to stingy it up.
Elevator closing time come and gone, Ugly loaded,it was more than a good time to have lunch. There in I’m wondering Murphy hadn’t gotten me a forth time.
I had piled my plate with all manner of goodies including an orange for desert. Then having gone something like this I had eaten everything but the orange. Ext thing I knew I was waking from a short nap. Sure beat challenging the heat. But waking up my orange had disappeared. What the? I thought I had laid it in my lap? I know I had laid it in my lap! About then Her Mostess had decided to join me. Seeing my perplexity she though I didn’t have all my faculties together. She suggested I never had an orange. I knew what I had had and I said so. Get out another one she suggested. Oh no, not mean orange is an orange, it’s got to be here somewhere….and I know I didn’t eat it peal and all!!!!
My carcass on the move again I ground the needed grain. By the time I’d finished putting things away it was getting onto rattler time. Another ice tea’d go good also. Putting in my hour’s wait I ate my supper and checked the downed hays for moisture content. I’d sure like to bale my hay tomorrow without having to rake it.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

*Method for straightening one badly bent strut. Mind you, that strut bent was the way it had come into our possession. So it was a needed correction long before our use.
Our fist attempt was holding it just so as Brother tried driving over it. I must explain our failure was primarily do to the fact that that strut had a two way (compound bend in it. So it was the ends kept skipping out from under the pressure of the skid-steers wheels the ends of that piece of steel repeatedly sliding away in the driveway‘s gravel and sand. We had to find another method. Brother thought we might make use of the old LaFrance Fire Engine. Just looking at the engine there was no way. Okay what if we tried putting one end over one fork of the forklift’s forks and the other end under the remaining fork. Then apply down pressure. OMG it worked, even to positioning the square tubing on edge in the forks. Perhaps with a dozen or more adjustments moving that bent tube theoretically the back’n’forths, ins’n’outs, and those ups’n’downs between those forks we had brought that bent tube with a ¼” of being straight, both ways. It was pure genius the manner and resourcefulness exercised achieving the result we had achieved.

One more thing:
Took a picture my involvement working a field for planting under constant scrutiny. With so many souls keeping an eye on my endeavors, I thought I was working a government job. In this case a hundred overseers and I the one worker.
Photobucket
Quoting Red Buttons, “Ha ha ho ho he he, strange things are happening.”

Friday, June 17, 2011

New day
First tings first. I received a many a Happy BirthDay well wishes from some quarters, only a couple from an otherwise busy source, and then non from a place like Home full of wise acres. But then I didn’t make a lot of announcements and managed to slid by some. (grin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As of before daylight this morning my nose’s running a-way out front with disgustingly ready activity. I’ve been calling hay fever. Maybe it mold I’m exposed to in the fields I’m haying. I doubt it dust as wet as it has been this Spring which also gives cause to mold allergies. If it were dust that discomfort who pass within a few few hours also showing up in a blown out tissue. I’m imagining I could use to things, both of them fanny packs. One to hold fresh tissues the other the used ones. A handkerchief lasts all of about a half hour and I hate shinny sleeves.
Frieda offered a suggestion, in jest I imagine, as to what I thought I had heard “catheter.” Might not have been a bad idea if I could find a market for such a collected commodity, for research.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Waking late I’ve so much to do. And I’ve my life sustaining dozens of medications to sort for the appropriate hour’s wait an hour before eating. I don’t do well on an empty stomach. Well my dressing is out of the way only moments now until I pour me a bowl of dry cereal to drown in a cup and a half of milk. I do like my milk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I need to check fuel in 2150 Ollie needing two quarts oil. I guess I might better refuel Ugly’s diesel transferring fuel tank. This tractor along with 4010 JD, ready to go, need to work another field and plant it. There’s got to be some more motor oil around one these places somewhere. Regardless I’d better put engine oil on the continued want list. Cussed want list is liken writing a never ending story. Any sales possibility is unheard of as it seems one of us is always shelling out the cash at its unfinished last chapter instead of collecting royalties.
Opps, almost forgot. I’ve got to get out my share of this day’s trash pick up.
Only takes a moment, I must finish the West sides pasture fencing. I‘d sure like to get those demanding ladies off my back for even a few days!
Did I mention I’d like to cut another ten or twelve acres hay? I wonder what it’d be like to have a busy season.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a change of pace, I’m having chocolate milk on my Wheaties this morning. Taint nothing like spontaneous home cooking. (grin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is after Noon, I’ve just finished my cold lunch. All the machines have had their oils checked and fuel tanks topped off with one exception, the 4020 gas. I feared that tractor has had it’s engine long-fully lugged over the last weekend. It is seriously popping, cracking, snapping and backfiring it’s a wonder it hasn’t blown a head gasket. The oil reservoir is over full. That tractor is in need new or cleaned sparkplugs, and an oil change. And, another big bigger plus. Either a properly educated (informed) operator or a different one. (I’ll keep the rest of it to myself for now or ever more for there‘s more here than meets the eye.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ladies are out on the west side’s pasture. I had finally finished wiring it this morning, but not without its peril. While I was working on one part, a deer was taken out another part. I’m thinking of having that same deer in the house for dinner. And, that dinner wont involve an ounce of polite conversation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7:30 PM, I‘m home for the evening. It had continued to be a non-stop busy all the day long. Since chowen down I took to cutting ten acres hay just down the road. Having completed six rounds the whole field, it was time to run the lengths of it. I never finished that first plainly run end to end field run hydraulic steering line rupturing. Nuts! Bro miles away looking for a piece of the hay rake I had lost a couple days ago was no immediate help to me. I either had to wait r shanks-mare it ¾ mile for home. I chose to walk it. The sooner I could remove the broken part the sooner I could put the tractor back together again. Was fun-fun-fun removing side hood panels, battery cover, dash cover, and a blind panel below the instrument cluster. Even though I had returned in my Ugly truck with my field tools aboard, once I got into the tractor’s hidden inner structures I found I needed some more tools, specialty tools. Primarily a crowfoot wrench, a socket reducer and a big-a breaker bar, expecting the worst, that hydraulic fitting’s nut came loose quicker than I had thought it would. Thinking I had it made all I needed do was slip/slide away the offended hydraulic line. Wrong-o! There was hidden in years of accumulated dirt and grease a invisible hold down clamp requiring a search and hardly a rescue the two nuts and bolts. Taking two hours to get it out it was to late at 5:00PM to even consider any hose fix or replacement. Looks like some haying is about to be curtailed for a few days. Could also be some modifications in farm haying operations?
The lost hay rake part found. It’s now rubber strapped
to the tongue. I brought out the Krapsman lawn tractor and mowed some the lawn behind the house.
I emptied the Cushman somewhat. Ugly gets tidied up some tomorrow. I need some cargo space for feed grind supplements. Yup, I got-a grind tomorrow.
Darn if I’m not pooped, tired, or exhausted. Must turn in calf muscles behaving strangely this evening.Other than the grind I’m letting the rest of tomorrow’s planning slid for now.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Not my only BirthDay

Thinking about Birthdays past I made my special day my yearly everybody got a gift BirthDay given. Because all our children were born throughout the year we had our little household parties with cake and ice-cream. That way those born to the Holidays felt less left out by those born in those longer stretches between the Holidays. It worked out rather well at that once the children had started school their Summer vacation was starting about the same week my B-Day come around, and so the children would have something to Summer play with. Along came the wagons, scooter, bikes, and vinyl body bouncing balls. The Hip Pity Hop, Hop-Pity Hop were gifts. The Pony Hop, and another something else were either salvaged trash or neighbor given. All was good for the Summer. There were eventually those Summers Bicycles (the kids helped earn) were the gifts for their young body’s to grow on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Waking to rain I checked weather reports for three entirely different renditions. Argh! One says we’re to have rain for the next four days. Argh! Another suggests a weeks worth of wet and dry every other day rain. Argh! Still the third is written we’ve got five or six sunny only days starting come morning. (a meager smile until it happens sure)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning's eye opener was a rush of medium heavy rain showers. Frieda gone back to bed I thought I’d coffee clutch over at the Crossroads. Myself late everybody already gone, I enjoyed a cup for myself. Went to the hardware and bought me a couple pieces of plumbing to hopefully fix a tired old grease gun. Then came back to goof off just long enough my idolness got around to bothering me. The Cushman and I were off and running around the West pastures limiting fences setting electric fence posts. Why I even managed to run one ½ mile wire down one side.
Tree trimmers clearing a local power line, talking with them I talked them out of their wood chips (barn livestock bedding). they delivered for me two full loads. Turned out not such a bad day after all.
Hay-fever and itching eyes are driving me nuts. Unable to shut my nose off I’ve taken to wearting a bib at times during the day. A hanky is of little use, with no down time to put it away. This is all so tiring. And, I’ve so much to do. Knowing its early I may likely get more productive work done and out of the way come morning. It is time to think supper.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Truth be known

6-16-2011 I was blessed life.
I’m 15 (fifteen) lustrums of age today. (grin) Let me see another lustrum and I’ll admit to another age.
Oh, I’ve got a paper with my vitals neatly written upon it but I like my parents rendition better, and some last hearsay comments I’ve heard over the years.
The way dad told it my coming into the world was not without announcement. He’d told me Not only had my Mother walled and yelled throughout my delivery, she had also verbally rendered my Father’s complete linage. All her mearmanderings
easily heard in a radius-ed distance of three blocks.
The stupidest question I have ever imagined the demist, “Why were you born there?” Golly Gee Wiz, why not? I was born right there where my mother had happened to be.
Okay, I shall make a short story out of it. It was depression recovery times. My parents country folk at heart reluctantly moved from So. Haven, mi. in an Maxwell car dad had assembled out of two he had horse drawn up from a marsh aside the black river. (that marsh has since been filled in and municipally used , park with boat ramp, and commercial use now; but I remember seeing near as it was once upon a time) The back half of the sedan body cut away, dad built a flat deck behind enough of the body left to cover the driver/passenger seat. Leaving their loved ones behind they set out on the many a sand, dirt, and gravel roads that crossed the state at that time headed for Detroit. The HM truck loaded with what meger personal belongings they possessed plus a box of odd tools, all the spare rims and tires Dad had salvaged, they rolled into Detroit out of gas on steel rims until what was left of that Maxwell rolled to downtown stop. Luckily they were but a short distance from a marine buddy’s home a couple blocks away. How they had managed their belongings from there I may only imagine or theorize. I would in later years call this gentleman Uncle Julius. His mom accepted my not yet parents with open arms as the additional children she’d never had.
Both of them immediately looked for work. Mom went to work in a nearby five and dime store. Dad reported to the auto manufactures gates every morning (a gear and axle plant and a body plant) whatever the boss of that day wanted that’s what my dad was for that day, whether he ever seen or done it before. There were no unions in those days.
By and by Dad found a steady job working in a travel trailer factory. Saving their dollars the found a fifth floor apartment on the top of a building just around the corner from Julius’s. For heat they had to carry coal up six flights stairs to burn. For hot water they lit a gas burner under a hot water tank they had to distinguish after ward. Dad’s job working out well they decided they could start a family. I was the first.
They continued to save their dollars. One day they had a Terriplain car they parked in Julius‘s barn. The next part of this story I’ll continue another day.
“Rainbow.”
Fernan

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Up, up and away

First fright of the day I did my own looking at my sources to see what the latest weather offering was to be. Holly Leo-G-Horse-E-Fat, I figured I had about five/six hours to bale the airport hay. My memory a little short remembering what went on between a late 9:00 AM’s start and 11:00 AM early luncheon before taking off for the airport. Tractor fueled along the way once baling hay I kept my head low avoiding coming and airport traffic: a Ford Tri-Motor, DC3, an old Jenny, a couple Jumbo‘s and three low winging Purple Martins darting and diving absorbing a many an insect. Why, I even managed to take a few more the following pictures:
An advanced observation security station.
Photobucket
Looking north from the main airport’s busy area complex may be seen an air strip (runway) about a hundred yards short a half mile. Out of the way of takeoffs and landings may be seen some of the cut and baled grasses removed from the primary air strip’s sides.
Photobucket
This snap shot’s looking south a modernized barn presently used for an ultra-light aircraft hanger. This 21st edifice is standing in the 100 yards’ short end the runway.
Photobucket
And lastly but not overlooked, the control tower. Notice its shaded well out of the way location.
Photobucket
This grass hay harvest came to over two dozen 5’x5’ bales, or a months feed for one of the lots. Oh, one more thing the control tower hadn’t needed air traffic controllers today any of the legitimate aircraft that hadn’t even landed let alone flew me over today. Well, the Purple Martins were real enough though. Wow, can they move liken miniature F16’s and get their prey with remarkable accuracy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was back into my immediate neighborhood shortly after 4:00PM. I traded off the Tall Ollie and 554 baler for the Shultz Ollie and the Hesston 1345 Rotary-mower with 5:00 PM coming on fast. I packed my bottled pills in my pocket, filled two bottles with water and headed out back. My goal was to clip another nice sized grassy area for more hay making. I do-ed it alright including breaking the bottoms in for haying. That area will have to wait until I’ve absorbed the proper amount of courage.
It has been a few days since I had gotten a tractor and mower buried in a field off Dodge road. Could be time I take an exploratory walk checking that field’s water level or even water content once more.
This afternoon’s hay cut for drying the next critical investment in my time’s use, I must re-fence the two complexly hayed pastures. The ladies are about to start bad mouthing me, my having given them another green haylage bale. My day finished as far as I’m concerned I made it in somewhere beteen 7:30 and 8:00PM. One more last thing I did was fold the spring toothed drag’s wings up. The disc and drag are ready to work up another field. I don’t even want to think about it, a if I haven’t enough to do.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

6-14-2011 Busy-busy

For dew drying starts, I been informed the need for some traffic cones to mark airport runway lights and/or pylons? The 554 baler belts repaired it is going to be a go-go day for it once the dews dried off. Here’s hopeful making something of all the hay what’s been cut. Next question is to cut or not to cut more hay today and tomorrow. There’s talk rain on’n’off starting four days Wednesday. My having lost faith in professionally weather guessed weather reports I’ve taken to looking at live national Doppler moving pictures. What a mixed hot’n’cold bumper to bumper mix of fronts headed our way my own guessing has every bit the same chance of being as wrong as the truly educated guesses. (sigh (“I can’t win for losing.”)
What can a body do? Hay balers broken down since last Wednesday cutting hay has been modestly curtailed. Replacing the 554’s belts has been, what I’d call, hand’n’wrist tiring aching make process.
How about some real duck sauce to dribble on my repairs…:
Now that the belts have been installed, I found I-net instructions for all the proper ways to not only lace the belts but also directional rotation installing for optimum performance in lasting use. While I may complain, as my prerogative, those same instructions weren’t on the I-net the last time I was involved in such arthritic fender paining activity. Just goes to show you how the information highway has expanded the offering these last ten years. I must put myself in the habit of more thorough research heading into any fixen or inventive behavior from here on out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reinstated mind altering drug is already working. I’ve noticed or the better some positive changes within my behavioral, anxieties, stresses’n’strains, grumpiness’s, mad-on’s, and (saving best for last) less desire to reach for that all important nicotine fix.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, for the rest my Tuesday adventures:
Herding Ugly, I had coffee over to the Crossroads and got an earful what’s been said about my behavior during recent weeks. (laugh) I understand that crowd has had a good time listening to my misadventures.
Going on from there I marked missing airport pylons exposed hardware’s in the tall grasses with traffic cones. Then it was home to take the sorry new finish mower off the Ford tractor and hook it up to the hay rake. Trying it out I raked a cutting bordering upon the bottoms out bake. Was about here during my morning hours Handy calls and wants a ride over to the druggist’s for med refills. Sheesh, I had just gotten back from there having passed both ways the crossroads for the airport.
Okay, in order to get the most out of the extra trip I backed into a parking space opposite the combined mall entrances. Just for some handy medication refills did they have to wait until he got there? Regardless I took to people watching whilst reading some of James Harriet’s “Dog Stories.” As for the people watching that was a mere bust of time. No silly arsed shenanigans between parents and kids, no emotional displays between young lovers, not one passing potential Miss Whatever or a promising playboy centerfold candidate. What it was, was a whole hours lost hour waiting lacking scenery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally making it back to the Airport I took a few pictures of the busy coming and goings. This airport so far inland the closest image of any tough security measures was on single padlock on this hanger door.
Photobucket
You’ve heard and seen some the 7?7’s, here’s a 9?9 standing by prepared to go into service,
Photobucket
This picture is a representation the interior this modern airport’s waiting room. You’ll notice the absence of terminal seating. That’s because passengers entering here have little waiting time before boarding’s and take offs.
Photobucket
The last picture of this series is of a one of its kind 9?9 almost ready for boarding right after it's tires are fresh air for take off. Notice this all takes place under a modern weather sheltering cover.
Photobucket
Perhaps more pictures coming my next airport working visit or be it the last one after that. It’ll be a mind’s memory event to even remember to take more pictures, particularly of all those facilities I missed in this series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Returning home It was tea time, then rattler time before I was off and running the 554 baler over the down acreages hay what had patently waited A baler fix. Getting on so close to 8:00 pm which it had become by time I walked into the house, I wasn’t taking another hike down the road for a mowing machine a couple three guys could have combined their heads together and figured it out it been a right thing to do. Balderdash, If they decided they needn’t do anything, why should I continue doing more!
I forgot what I’d had for supper? I think I was out like a light somewhere around or before 8:30 PM. I couldn’t have been bushed. Why, I had even been fretting I couldn’t mow more hay for the lack of a delivered machine.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Monday, June 13, 2011

Average best kid’s Day

This date was one of my best date days as I was growing up. It was the latest average day’s date the last day of consolidated schooling when I was a kid. Of course while I were going to country school we were out more than a coupe weeks earlier in time to be of some real help working ground and planting farm crops and Mom‘s kitchen garden.
Then you may think that was that. You may even imagine Summer’s playtime welcoming. Ha, fat chance. I don’t remember exact dates from so long ago, but I still remember some of the routine. All the seeds in it were asparagus, following strawberries, followed by blackcaps between Spring Haying’s, followed by ho hoe hoeing and cultivating. Let us not forget blue berries, followed by some early garden vegetables. Any produce picked was immediately put to two uses the first one to kitchen canning, and secondly to one late week day door to door peddling. These moneys paid our school clothes, the Keds (shoes) the tops what rotted off our feet Oh yes those were busy days.
School vacation time? I’d like to know who thought that one up? Propaganda is what that was! Vacation my _____! Maybe one day towards the end of August to get together with my mates, only to learn their lives had paralleled my own. It was the one day we could gather together to try and get into enough trouble we could talk it, stretch it out as having been an all Summer’s long adventure. (grin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This morning as prearranged with, Handy, he spent the morning helping me lace the ends of the 14” baler belt. It ticked my off that I hadn’t thought of it before. But it was much easier pressing on the short filler first instead of last. So, okay I’ll know better next time. Then it was lunch time.
After lunch Shane joined me after I had gotten started threading the belts up’n’down over under the umpteen rollers what expand while compacting the hay bale the machine’s rolling to the finished product size. It was well into past the supper hour when we’d had gotten the 554 Vermeer baler ready to literally roll. (grin) It was time to take t home. I thought I had a ride back for Ugly. If I wanted my Ugly truck handily parked out here a particular couple of ya-who’s had thoughtlessly abandoned me to travel via shank’s-mare. Determined to bring it home I took to the road on foot. Damn it, I’ve got to get me a couple bikes just for days like this.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Sunday, June 12, 2011

To early

Gosh all mighty, 3:00 AM and I’ve been up two hours already. It ain’t right. It’s dark and I can’t see a durned thing. And admittedly not looking to either complete something old or start anything new.
Well okay, going to modify my normal routine. Have just sorted my day’s rattlers. I’m going to do away with the Morning’s offering with a slug of water an hour early and lay it back down. If I should drift off, so be it. When I re-awake I’ll have put in my hour’s wait. A fifteen sitting upright I’ll be three quarters an hour ahead of time ready to choke down one-a-mine preparations. May the spirits have mercy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve another title for this entry….”What?”
While Brother’s been approached a couple/three days ago about mowing a local airport, that’s where he’s at now. But I can guarantee he’ll likely never get off the ground.
I his absence I’ve been trustingly delegated to splice the baler belts. While he’d suggested they couldn’t be single handed handled I’m working on them by myself for a starter. It’s all in setting up an easy approach to handling any job.
Photobucket,Photobucket
The narrow belt was a snap to doing the splicing lacings. The 14” wide belt is a bear to do requiring two more hands to stuff the thing back into the 10” lacing tool for the last 4” the connecting pieces. It’s the moving the mechanically laced belt over reinstalling it in the vice a second time to complete the width of the whole thing. (if I’ve made any sense) Once both belts have had their reduced ends and re-lengthening inserts fixed threading the belts back into the baler is a fun gymnastic event. While the event wot draw a crowd of spectators when we’ve finished we’ll know what we’ve done. (grin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talked to Tom in Florida today. He’s finally getting treatments for all his illnesses. Wholesale like at that. He undergoes back surgery early this week for a crushed vertebra. While he’s in the hospital his heart issues may be taken care of with some stints. He’s also supposed to be started on some treatment to check his lymphoma. He figures if he wants to live he’s got to go the whole gambit of treatments rat now to survive. Gosh anybody having an in with the Big Guy upstairs put in kind word for, Tom, while you! Please!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home late, rattlers taken late, somebody else around here talking pizza, pizza started is dumped on me. Okay, I commenced to build one: self rising dough, American cheese, sliced sausages, lots of olives, topped with grand chunks pineapple. Also baking a pumpkin pie for bedtime snack.
(yawn)
I can’t wit no more.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Saturday, June 11, 2011

“Lost parts found….

…..,“ my brother tells me. “I picked them up right where you dropped them.” he had gone on to say.
I expect there was a bit of skulduggery here. I had explained before he had gone out thee to look I had already put in over two hours. I had also explained we’d had some strong breezes blowing the windrows round, making clean picking up windrows a bit difficult for the baler to get a hold of them. I had added seeing as how some of that hay had been blown around the parts might have fallen off and the baler tire had packed them out of sight under the maverick blown about hay. I know he wasn’t about to go one legged hand raking loose grasses to look underneath them. So, seas how he’s buddy-buddy with Chip, and chip has a rather sophisticated metal detector, Bro” most likely took Chip and his machine along for a ride.
It were some time later, Bro’ made his boastful announcement without a how he’d found them explanation. Butt, I have my idea-r’s suspicion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some haying halted for two baler repairs I stooped to fixing weed whackers. The damaged parts replaced in the extend-o lawn trimmer. It’s starter rewinder is marvelously working like it should. Whooppee! Sure easier getting something done with the equipments proper cooperation. So getting back here I used my revitalized originally purchase trimmed fitted with a three knive-d steel blade. It isn’t a piece of equipment to be using with anyone else around. So dangerous, I’ve even painted that steel blade a bright yeller to be easily seen. My ability to see that bright color I know where the durn thing is making it easier avoiding any dangerous entanglements with steel fence posts, trees and/or other un-discussed limbs. Caefully watching my trim activity I clean the closs corners as clean growing vegetation’ll let me. Lastly I put the new Spring mower purchase back on the Ford tractor and used it to clean up and out the long hauls I had avoided when the ground in those areas were under standing water. Shucks, I even managed to cut about another whole acre ground to complete the pasture area of the western most Pasture.
Well all’s no rosy yet in Shorthorn country. Now I need to set electric fence posts around these two mown hayed pasture fields. So I’ve got to get off my duff having come in for a tea chasing my rattlers taking. Now I must better unload the Cushman it’s over loaded necessities and restock it with the more currently needed items: electric fence posts, 3# single jack, leather left handed glove for bruise control (from single jack misses), insulators, and the wire belaying axle wire loading arm. This’ll make the Cushman ready to setting fences the early and in-between hours.
All the baled hay’ll be hauled in before this day’s
It’s gonna be warmed up hamburger steak for tonight’s supper. Then its bed time.
“Rainbows.”
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Fernan

Friday, June 10, 2011

I don’t know…

….whether I’m coming or going? Reading some of my stuff I’ve managed to even confuse me. While what I’ve written is true, it is seriously chronologically wrong. So for the sake of the sums of my adventures here goes another addition rather than trying to correct whatever I might have written wrong I shall merely add another episode to my week’s haying adventures.
It was when the original baler had lost it’s belts I immediately headed for that mystery out of sight shed over the hill from where in with plenty of help we all worked together to bring out the farm’s original 605F Vermeer hay baler. A grand old machine it is. An original go getten it a dry-haying done starter. Checking it out any last minute details missed before it was laid up I looked forward to using and seeing it in action. So, it was back to my hayfield I went. Between us we had a couple little problems. Admittedly I had to figure out its operation all over again it been so long since I had used it last. Of-course its total operation all came back to me with the first mistake, my forgetting to tidily tie the bale before I dumped it out of the chamber. Ivey! The baler working I went straight away rolling all the hay I hadn’t done after the 445 Vermeer’s break down. I did rather well at that right up until the 605F mysteriously quit. What quit? Done again for the evening I parked in my farmyard driveway. Hopped on it first thing this AM taking it to the shop. There I mistakenly undid the main drive chain to realize the machine’s problem actually entailed a missing chain and sprocket. Phooey. All done again. Shane having joined me in the repair process the second Vermeer we be-lined it to the hay field driving up and down the emptied wind-rows looking for a couple wayward parts. Then it marvelously started to rain again for a change. So much for dry baling the last two rounds the field had left to offer. It was lunch time.
And, what was wrong? Parts missing. I must have searched the hayfield for over a couple hours between showers.
I was again called by Doc’s office. (his practice must be slow.) "Be here at 2:45 PM! she'd said. (period). I was on time I sat a few minutes (normal). When called in mm BP was taken I was to sit. Sit I did falling asleep nearly falling off my chair waking in time to catch myself. Fell asleep again laying my head in my arms on the examining table waking up when my left arm went to sleep. "Be here at 2:45!" she’d said. Doc walked in at 4:15. Talked to me for fifteen minutes to tell me I’ve got to increase my coumadin intake. Whoopppee! What's a body going to do this man takes care of as a generic doctor has never learned to understand. What'll I do? (Oh hum)
Okay, leaving there in the rain I wanted to make an afternoon of it so I headed for my first stop. Getting there they almost locked the doors behind me. This was the place to pick-up my ordered lawn trimmer part. For crying out-load it took these guys forever to take care the patrons.
Hurrying on my next stop was going to be Lesser’s gas plant for a medical oxygen bottle refill (in a bottle I had picked-up along side the road some years back). (Sure could have used it tomorrow getting Frieda out of the house if only for an hour a mile down the road.) They must have sen me coming the doors locked right on time. Nuts!
Okay, no gas. No sticking my head in the oven tonight! On down the road I rolled Ugly, made two right turns and I was at staples for some useless shopping. First thing new ink cartridges for my printer, next portable around the house telephones so’s Her Mostess will have something else to lose. (sigh) Purchased more CD’s to down load my stories onto and some covers to protect a bunch already copied.
I wasn’t done yet. Passing through the Crossroads I only marketed for a gallon of milk. Getting out of there I pushed one them new mini shopping carts the basket loaded with half price glass jarred pickles, a brand new not forgotten this time tall canister package iced-tea mix (got-it), and (oh yeah) a couple bags those diet decrepitating coconut chocolate bars. (yum) Pushing my load out the doors the cart’s lower level was loaded with three cases root-beer. I like my cans icy cold root-beer these hot summer afternoons for a hay making treat. So, I got a thirst!
Super time now. Gonna heat up some Mac’n’cheese.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

6-9-2011 Nuts

In spite all the water I drank-away yesterday I remember only one all night’s water haul. At that time nosiness grabbing a part of my inquisitive mind I looked out the door. We’d had a sprinkle. I’m only hoping it wasn’t a drenching rain, just a passing sprinkle. Well, I can hope. A passing sprinkle can dry in a few hours, a drenching rain may take days involving at least one hay raking. Oh fiddle-e-de!
Oh Lawd, I slept roughly eleven hours. Was my day that busy a long one. 8:00 AM and I’m in recovery. Have taken my rattlers I’m waiting my hour until breakfast. A couple belated benefits, The Offended baler and Ollie were readied to go to shop evening last. A secondly The ladies have been put back out on my near farmyard east pasture. They’ve been given an non-keeping bale for their refusal. TOUGH! I didn’t ask for all these Spring rains to mess up my haying or what’s going to be this years time consuming electric fences re-settings. Certain areas still wet and in need clear for the normal running my pre-sized (per established wire lengths (between established corners) I’ve got a few straight line issues. (grumble grumble , growl, growl).
Okay ladies, you’ve just gotten an unwanted summer hay bale. Tough. Enjoy, I’ve managed to roll two more for you’s this very day last, enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flash!
I’ve just called JD’s Tri-County Implement to assure them I’ll be in for a part I had ordered through them about three weeks and had been in for the last couple weeks. I just wanted to assure them that their efforts were not a wasted motion upon either our individual parts. I even extended a true rendition my absent reasons missing picking up the part. Rains, haying’s, heavy equipment repairs and a broken down truck. At no time did I bring Ugly’s name into our telephone conversation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gosh! I dislike Wheaties! I should-a poured me something different.
Oh Oh! I neglected to finish this journal offering….. Lets see?
Some of the day I’ve already written. Some more of it went something like this. I had continued to bale more hay. Was happily rolling along just as if all was normal. I remember I had come to the rolling it up end of one windrow. Made my about turn for the next windrow and before I had seen it all happen the was a loud “Ka woop!” emitted from the baler behind me. Quickly looking I was to see of the big belts had parted it’s splice and become savagely consumed and baled. Oh crap was I ever surprised.
Lots of daylight I was thinking I get those belts out of the bale, a quick fix and I could finish this field. I fond my weight along leaning on that bale wasn’t going to move nor give up it captured black fat baler belt. Okay I drove what was left up to the farmyard. Even then as I approached the farm yard I had coming to see me the entire contingent of Shorthorn country ladies telling me they’s ready to peruse another greener pasture. NUTS!
I could no longer make hay, I no longer present the ladies with fresh earthly grown green grass. What to do? I called Shane for some two kinds of help. The first one some moral support, as my aging mind and body were feeling the debilitating effects to much happening wrong this day’s afternoon. Secondly I could use Shane’s assistance changing the ladies pasture from what they had to another one not much better. Plus moving a hay ring and feeding them a two or three day old mistake. And when we finished with the ladies we took off for the more distanced Duck Pond hay-fielded/pasture for the baler belts. Using the loader it was a series of a couple mismatched wrestlers the JD taking the initiative to attack the defensive hay bale. As untidy as the bale looked it still tried standing its ground, only the JD’s magical rolling foot work had the bale outclassed. The bale didn’t give in easily making sure the JD had to work for ever discombobulating jab in it could the bale backer right, back peddled rolled away, boxed pointedly left. Shane as if a refereeing capacity had the fat black belt out and down for a quick count first. It took the JD under my coaching influence to give in to the JD’s attacks to relinquish the second skinnier baler belt.
Both belts on the ground Shane and I rolled them tidily up and loaded them on the Cushman for their rides up to the farmyard. Only an hour or so daylight left I (we) gave up on making fix and finishing the baling that evening. The day was called.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Same day

Forgot for a moment what I did with my morning. I fired up the 4-180 White tractor and drove over to the site where I had buried the tractor and mower last night. It took longer hooking up the chain than it took the 4-180 to snatch my mess out of the mud. Eventually I got home for lunch. Rains forecast for this evening I laid off cutting more hay.
Putting in shop time I put the Krapsman’s mower deck together and hung it under the tractor’s frame. Fix hood another day. Job done.
Played with Cushman’s brakes making little to no headway. Studied situation, the geometry between the foot peddle and master cylinder needs some serous rethinking. Job temporarily done.
Replaced the starter on Ugly’s engine. Only two hands, one holding up the starter the other hand holding in turns installed a couple bolts and wrenched them tight. While I was down under doing this parts change…..I fed a mosquito I couldn’t put out of my misery. Thought finished, Ugly’s electrical system was dead. Back out and back-under I had forgotten to bolt battery cable to the starter. I had to laugh in-spite of myself. (hahahohohehe). Job done.
Did a few other insignificant things, had to have been, I don’t remember what they were, but they had to have been important it took me an hour to do them. Then I broke for home.
Home I took a monstrous tea break. I needed it. I also needed to bale hay Glass emptied a good day thus far, what could go wrong.
Underway, the very first bale I rolled I had forgotten tie. Oh shoot, to late once it’s out of the baler. I tested it 13.4% moisture content the whole thing but for one little spot. I remember the exact spot picking a wad of wet hay out of the only water puddle I had crossed. Out o about a good half dozen rolled bales I had two plugs. And one more for good measure. The last one was the dusy. I had rolled the bale alright in it included two baler belt. (phooey, phooey, phooey) By the time had perhaps retrieved the belts, made new arrangements to keep the ladies happily eating (fed). And move all the principle chunks o the shop We’d never gotten the baler fixed before dark. Shucks, I called it, fixing may take place while the dew dries come morning. Supper was at 8:00 PM this nite.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

My Adversity's start

Her Mostess’s desire
Terry happening to be checking his mail box about the time I was driven home. His seeing me stepping down from the Ugly truck he walked the few steps up my driveway to pass a few moments as we often do. His seeing the neatly wrapped package in my hand, he asked me about it. “Oh, the wife expects me to get her an anniversary gift commemorating our 1958’s first defining date.” I explained
“What you buy her, Fuzzy?” he asked.
“Well she had hinted she wanted something with lots of diamonds.” I replied.
“Well come on. Lets have it! So, what’d you get her?” he asked.
“A deck of cards.” I had replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This for now. I’ll likely soap box later.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

I knew…

….there was more I wanted to write about. Nothing world shattering. Nothing that’d have anything to do with solving any the worlds problems. Not that I mentioned this maybe I’ve three things to talk about if I may remember what they are long enough?
Fistly: I enjoyed some wildlife scenes. Really, putting in tractor time, the kind I don’t have to keep a constant eye on what the implement in tow is doing nor where it was that closely negotiated I enjoyed some the scenes going on around me. Had a lone hen turkey more or less trot a diagonal line across the field ahead of me like she owned it.
Saw two deer. The first one (a doe) jumped out of the brushy edge of the field. Startled seeing me she did a hundred and eighty degree turn and darted right back where she had come from. The second deer (another doe) a bit later coming out of similar brush just sort of sauntered across the field paying no mind me nor my machine sharing the same field.
Lastly I saw a coyote. They’s one of the funniest conceived varmints if ever one so contrived just showing if there is a God he has an unimaginable sense of humor. This dummy looked as though it didn’t know for sure either where it was going or looking back acted like it was being followed. It must have changed direction a half dozen times to looking both ways over its shoulders. (I had to laugh in spite of myself.) A coyote doesn’t need a cartoon road runner companion to be entertaining.
Succonly: I spilled my emotional misgivings to Doc. And he listened with an nonjudgmental open mind. I told him I had blown up at my Brother an unwarranted verbal attack. I told him a particular wife of mind hadn’t even washed a dish over the last couple weeks, and we were eating off paper plates. Lastly between the weather’s instability doing its best spoiling my attempts at plantings and harvestings, I was spinning out.
I also explained my falling off the non-smoken wagon, not full scaled mind you, yet using a pack lasting me a week, but falling off just the same for the calming nicotine fixes I needed to cope.
He knows me well enough I not be telling him an untruth. It’s surprisingly how well he knows his patients. I know (overheard) of another really extraordinary example I can’t write about, as it is non of my business. Still knows us!
Thudly: Doc renewed an old prescription, Wellbutrin. This is about as strong a mind altering drug I hope I’ll ever need to stay on an ever calmed even keel. It’ll likely take a couple weeks to work its magic calming me out so’s I may easily quit the evil smoking again. Those coffin nails aren’t doing either my throat nor lungs a bit of good.
Fortith: I’m out of here even earlier than the usual kicking the proverbial time clock in the shins to wake it up. Putting a hurting on it is already making me feel better until I’ve brought home my belated meds. Now that I have spilled my innards I’m maybe feeling better.
Fiftly: My wearing, miserably wearing, gloves out in the sun, the backs of my hands (all both of them) itch something fierce. Asking Her Mostess what I may do with them she suggests trying some the lotions sitting on the shelves in the throne-room. Only thought I have to that, while I can’t stand the gloves, I spend all my day’s shop time washing them. How’ll I ever take to and stand some preconceived greasy lotion smeared upon myself, this’ll be a new trial to over come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having repeatedly had had a calling some years back and giving it up ‘cause all the good corners had already been taken I still get in a little out of the usual spiritualizing upon special occasions liking putting to rest saddened person’s critter.
Photobucket
I was please as punch when she rolled into the hole into a resting position. Looking so natural made it a mite easier back-filling the excavation.
I not only was paid well for my services, I was even treated to lunch. It wasn’t a bad morning’s mourning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the shop I straightened the hay rake’s one bent rail. Replace some original equipment IH fingers with JD. The JD’s bent at a mite different worked well fitting in with the machines operation. I had them whirling around where the IH parts refused to go.
Been thinking (oh oh) we’ve got a extra large caster wheel somewhere that I may just be able to build into this tired old IH hat rake. An extra wheel strategically placed and supported between the right rear machines wheel and the rotating basket just might help with the implements well being I I cane eliminated some of those bottoming out the poor machine experiences hitting (falling in/through) hidden holes or dead furrows has been a many the rails more than once. An extra wheel may just be what this machine needs. And a big PLUS, I think may just the wheel and materials without an out lay to use up some junk what’s laid around on the farm for to long.
One of life's little rewards are those what may have had something useful made and working out of basically nothing. (he he)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speeding on along, The rake fixed, the tractor gassed I headed it for home. Having eatened I went straight to raking the Duck Pond Hay mown field. It was just as I had figured still wet. All the tires rolled up almost everywhere they rolled wet, The hay needed moving off the wet earth under it to the dry ground beside the mown windrows. When I finished my time was short. I had forty minutes to get back down the shop road. Luckily Terry home he shuttled me. The Cushman under me I hit the road, back roads most the way to Otisville. I made the auto parts store with three minutes to spare. There traded in a disastrous looking core and some hard earned cash and walked out with what looked like a brand-spanking-new rebuilt starter. Ugly’s going to go again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moving on had a couple close calls, The Cushman’s brakes had suddenly become sub standard. Curses, Have got to move it into shop for a chain-fall hoisting and take up then lazy brakes again. (sheesh!) making it to the drugstore unscathed I picked up bags and bags of drugs for Frieda and myself. From there headed home the long way around the block. Wanted to check out a couple fields, one for a single season’s haying, another for worken and planting.
By the time I got home I was an hour rattler chugging late. Took them anyway. Checked fuel in 1855 Schultz Ollie and headed out for a right and left turn to mow me a field. Whooppee. Oops here come the image of doom. Bro’ come rolling along stopping me. I had said, “I’m going to mow a field whitest I got the chance.” He says, “It might rain.” That is about the extent of my brother’s vocabulary every hay season as long as I’ve known him. (negative waves, really) Well,as it turned out, I turned in, made about a hundred or so feet and burried the tractor and rotary-conditioner. Nuts!
I was back home before 8:00 PM. We’ll use the 4-180 White to retrieve the 1850 mower combo out of that soggy hay-field come morning. Guess, just guess who’s gonna be happy to get back to his own water holes if we’re lucky tomorrow.
“Rainbows.”
Fernan