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Friday, May 8, 2015

A wonderful day

I'm chopping silage and everything is going wrong. 30 acres behind. I'm sick but don't tell my wife. Sore throat, cough, wake up drenched in sweat. Not trying to complain, just setting the scene.
Blower on the chopper wore out after only two years, two year old lower radiator hose failed on mower tractor, (very hard to repair)

Had to chop my clover early because my neighbor was worried aboutvolunteer radish. Started mowing this morning and the hose to transmission oil cooler blew out. Kind of an off failure as I had checked all this last year.
Fixed it, got new helper mowing. New helper drives slow but did a good job.
Came home to move goats out of the garden that is not ours. Goats did not pay any heed to new electric fence, a half hour turned into an hour or two.
Helper finished mowing.
Friend who was bringing second truck was busy farming. Went with one truck. Had plenty of time to sharpen the knives.
Second truck showed up for last load from grass field.
Moved to clover, shear pin on spout rotator broke,  Had to find new pin.
Our IH truck started overheating, then driver had to leave. 
Finished clover with one truck.
6pm
Moved to neighors clover field. Some other friends brought two trucks.
Clover neighbor called to see why I wasn't chopping his field, I thought he was joking and said I quit when my drivers quit. I made that joke as I had just driven past his house with chopper.
He wasn't joking and said he would get someone else to do his silage next year.
Thought about telling him two loads had gone by his house already and then thought, I've been chopping his silage for twenty years sometimes in the rain till midnight and if he thinks I would just quit early and purposely let his clover dry out them it really is time to make a change. 
I was going to suggest he not wait till next year but instead Said, "you better do what you need to do," hung up phone.
Loaded two more 13 ton loads.
Decided to haul one more load before dark.
At 8:30 pm I looked at oil pressure gauge. It said zero. No alarm buzzer and not hot.
Killed tractor. checked dip stick, lots of oil. Removed sending unit, cranked starter, no oil.
Got ride to my pickup with truck that was almost full of silage.
Farmers son offered me a Bud-lite. It was a nice guesture.
Went home.
Tomorrow I will put the planter tractor on the chopper, it has low oil pressure already. Needs new main bearings.
Perhaps I can kill two 2-155's with one clover field.
Having a couple stress issues right now. I should just go outside and unhook the tractor from the drill, not like I'm going to sleep.
I sort of hate farming...
I left a little radish just to screw with them.

4 comments:

  1. Some people would complain if you shot them with a brand new gun. (Strange, fatalistic WV saying) Maybe you've mown that clover field long enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Metaphorically speaking, I think I agree. I should be switching tractors but I just don't feel like leaving the rocking chair...

      Delete
  2. Farming looks like a lot of fun when you watch someone else do it. Meanwhile I sit and listen to the sound of air drills running while mine sits waiting for the cleaning plant to clean my flax seed. At least I have an excuse to do nothing. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are waiting for the famous bread company to pay us for our flax...

      Delete

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