My neighbor came to my rescue with a very large articulated (meaning it was good at elocution) John Deere tractor. I have no idea of the model number as I generally boycott all things John Deere but my pride has it's limits. My theory to getting unstuck, and I was happy to find out it was shared by my neighbor, is to use the biggest tractor you have to pull the offending stuck tractor out. If you use too small a tractor then the stuck tractor sinks in worse and then you really have a mess. If you get the huge tractor stuck then you have really good photos to post on farmer websites and some places you can win contests!
While we were driving across the field comments were made as to the timing of my planting and he urged me to count my blessings as I was planting. A very interesting comment. Of course there is more to the story. I found it interesting that I heard nothing from the people I was planting for. My neighbor even stuck around for a few minutes to make sure I didn't get stuck again.
I did have a plan. We were supposed to have freezing weather for several days and so I could plant this last 35 acre field while there was a bit of a crust on top. I got stuck on the opening round. Yesterday morning we walked about the spot where I became stuck. It was a 10x20ft spot. Had I not found it on the opening round I would have been able to finish the field.
As it ended up the sun came up and the temperature went above freezing by noon. I quit and ran the tractor and pickup out to the road. This involved nice long walk through muddy fields but it was not raining. I took the opportunity to trespass on the train tracks for a short walk and I kind of feel like a rebel.
Don't you like my nice hat. My daughter thinks I look funny most of the time. The point is the mud on the press wheels. The next photo is what it looked like a half hour later.
I did almost miss Thanksgiving dinner as my wife and child were at her sister's in Junction City. By the time I was out of the field I had several phone calls with invitations for Thanksgiving so all was not lost. I went with my brother's offer as it was but a short walk across the machinery lot and they were waiting dinner on me.
I took a long hot shower and put my muddy clothes in the washer before I went. It was a really nice shower.. And a nice dinner afterwards. Later I fell asleep on their couch while the nephews played bugdom and watched Home Alone 15.5 beside me.
It was a nice Thanksgiving...
I went to bed at 9:30 pm and woke up at 8 am. My wife didn't wake me. She said I must have needed to sleep or I would have woke up on my own. I hope none of the other farmers find out I slept till 8 am. I bet Ed Winkle never sleeps in. Orin may as he lives down there pretty close to Eugene.
Post Script: Today it is pouring down rain. It was a mile long muddy lane into the field. If anyone from the farm would have responded to my message that I had to quit the field I would have suggested that we get their truck out. I'm looking out the window this morning and I think with this rain it will be pretty difficult to get a semi and trailer out until it drys out. I don't know when that will happen now. I suppose this will cause me to miss the blessing I may have gotten for helping them out. Oh well...
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Walking on the tracks. That brought back a memory of going for walks with my Grandpa and crossing the trestle at Whiteson on that same rail way. There was a narrow plank walk way about half way up the trestle. Very scary. In those days the rail road people didn't care.
ReplyDeleteI still have a field cultivator sitting in a volunteer annual ryegrass field. It is going to be there til spring unless we get a good hard frost. The Steiger was parked near it with a harrow, we made a mell of a hess getting that out last week. This was the fall season that there just wasn't time to get everything done right.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait. That's every year for us!
Hope your pressure washer is ready to run. Looks like it's got its work cut out for it.
Glad you got it out--thank heaven for a good neighbor.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that you trespassed on the railroad! Is nothing sacred?
ReplyDeleteA little photoshoppery to nudge the hue on those coated press wheels toward 80% cacao, impose a 'pistachio' label on the seed box, and you could market posters and postcards depicting planting the fields of dipped biscotti at any designer coffee joint in Eugene.
ReplyDeleteWalking on railway is trespassing?? Maybe only in the U.S.A. Nice hat Budde, a toque with a visor. Now how many people know what a toque is? I think its a unique Canadian term. Its my headgear of choice in winter. No mud here, just frozen ground and knee deep snow. Too cold to run a pressure washer here as I'd only build an ice sculpture, but good luck with yours.
ReplyDeleteRalph, so that's what a toque is! I'm a pretty big fan of The Diesel Gypsy's website (a retired Canadian trucker) and he frequently mentions wearing a toque. Pretty normal headgear for me from November to March, and for any night work I might do in the summer months.
ReplyDeleteBudd, you need to get that thing over your ears! They're making me cold just looking at the picture!
The idiotic patriot act put all railroad stuff in a more serious class. For a while they were worried that terrorists would hijack Thomas or fly crop dusters full of anthrax. I think it is government inspired by comic books or something.
ReplyDeleteThe very fine headgear is actually a baseball hat, (a free hat from Killingsworth Gear thank you very much) with a stocking hat over the top of it. It is quite warm and still has a visor on it.
Yes it was quite the biscotti moment. Cold enough for me to enjoy that nice thermos full of hot coffee in the cab. Never thought of the marketing aspect. They tell you to do value added marketing. Perhaps I could get a grant!
It is now warm enough for a pressure washer. I left the drill in their farm yard so the rain will wash of a lot of the mud on their gravel.
And yes, I have a pretty decent fellow for a neighbor, although I suspect he will get a lot of mileage out of pulling my White out of the mud with his John Deere.