Friday, May 17, 2013

#155. or, Day One Bust

  I'm sitting in my tractor seeding today. I mean, literally,
Sitting. In. My. Tractor. Seeding.

  It's posts like these that tend to add a little validity to me labelling myself as, -inatractor.

 This is actually 3rd day of seeding wheat. Yesterday was the 2nd. But for all intents and purposes, I'm calling today two, and yesterday one, and pretty much writing off my first day altogether, as it was about one of the worst days of seeding that I can recall in quite some time.

  When I finish seeding for the year, I try to put my seeder away after doing any repairs it requires. Same thing with the tractor, although, it gets used for a lot of other jobs, so we tend stay on top of what it requires as things develop. That being said, it still takes me 2 or 3 days to hook everything up, change oil, and go through all the nooks and cranny's, so when I go to the field, I can go with the confidence that I can put in a good days' work.

  That was my plan for Wednesday. To pull into the field and do some serious seeding. I made it about half way around my first pass, before I got stuck. Not stuck bad, just to when any forward movement stops happening. I don't like getting stuck bad. That happened to me last year and requires unhooking everything, and pulling out each of the three pieces separately. Also, I discovered that the degree to which you bury your tractor and seeder in the mud is directly proportional to the number of neighbours that will show up to watch as you try to get out. I had a lot of neighbours watching me last year, and really wanted to avoid that happening again.

  Anyways, I had  no chain because no one likes to anticipate getting stuck, and to bring one would also imply that my tractor driving might not be up to the standards as to avoid getting stuck in the first place. So we had to send for a chain before I could get towed out.

  While I was waiting, I called my tractor salesman to see if he had a set of rear wheel duals I could put on my tractor to give it more traction. He said he had a set for about $12 000, but he could get me a deal for $10 000. Which was about twice as much as I had expected, and about $10 000 more than I really wanted to spend. So for now, I'm being really, really careful.

  When the chain came, it was relatively easy to get pulled out by the other tractor we had there cultivating the field. Then I proceeded to get stuck again. Three more times. Three more times in as many acres. And, because my ego could no longer stand any further crushing blows, I left to find a drier field.

  The second field was much drier and it appeared that I was going to be able to salvage the remainder of the day. Until the fan hub
on the tractor blew up. They didn't have one in town, and it would have been a days wait for them to bring one in, so it was required that I make an after hours call to the John Deere parts warehouse, an hour and a half away in the city.

  Fortunately, I talked my wife into coming along for the drive with me, so that made the trip a bit more fun, she also suggested we pick up some coffee and doughnuts from Tim Horton's, for the drive home.

  It's funny how less than $10 worth of coffee and doughnuts can make getting stuck 4 times and a $1200 fan hub seem not all that bad.

  ................of course, that could have also had something to do with the sex we had later that night, but I hesitate to mention that, because well, doughnuts AND sex in the same evening, is likely more good than anybody deserves.



29 comments:

  1. Oh no, it sounds like you were deserving of both. I had no idea seeding was such a complicated endeavor.

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    1. Hi Zoe,

      Generally, it's not all that complicated. It was just one of those days where nothing seemed to go right.

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    2. well thank goodness sex is pretty instinctual.

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  2. I felt sorry for you up until the sex and doughnuts.

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    1. Hi Katy,

      ........so, it's a happy story? :)

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  3. Obviously I know nothing about tractor driving, but I can't see how getting stuck is your fault if the field is muddy and you have drive over every inch of the field to plant seeds. But I still would have been one of the neighbors watching you get out of the bad stuck :)

    But good thing you got such a lovely reward at the end of the day for dealing with all the troubles. That's a smart and lovely wife you have :)

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    1. Hi Kianwi,

      The trouble is, the field looks dry. It's not like the whole thing is one giant sheet of mud. So, you're puttering along, and suddenly you're into a spot that you thought was safe but actually only appeared to be.

      There is water hole to go around, but at least with those, you know they're there and can prepare for them.

      She is pretty smart and lovely, almost makes me want to have more bad days? :)

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  4. Timmie's coffee, donuts AND sex? You're livin' the Canuckian dream, man!

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    1. Hi Debra,

      The only other thing you could possibly add would be bacon? :)

      Canuckian dream.....I like that. :)

      Delete
  5. Ken, your story was wonderful. Your wife is, too. She knew exactly what to do and how to make it all right. You are definitely a lucky man...and smart, because you know it.

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    1. Hi McGuffy Ann,
      Thank you! I think I'm pretty lucky too. Especially for being able to have her for a wife. :)

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  6. Hi Ken my friend,

    This 'bad day seeding' story could describe my last couple of weeks, no lie. Well, except I wouldn't be seeding. Or driving a tractor. But you get the idea. It has been a ROUGH end to the semester, but I JUST submitted my last set of grades, and other than a few little details, I am DONE.

    I didn't get doughnuts - or the lovin', but I survived and look forward to the next few weeks to recuperate!!

    Hope you've had brighter days - or atleast more doughnut n' sex days! :)

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    1. Hello, my friend!

      WOO HOO! I'm so glad to hear that you are out the other side of all of the stress of this semester!

      It's funny, I was looking forward to getting into seeding because it is actually a little more relaxing than than the schedule that I've been keeping the last month or so. It was disappointing to have that happen right off the bat.

      I think that may have been my bad day though, because it's been pretty good since that one.

      I hope I don't have to wait for the wheel to fall off for another doughnuts n' sex evening. :)

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  7. I know that feel. When you think that the day is going to be super productive, and then the backhoe blows a tire. Or the truck dies. Or you forgot to get the thing you needed to do the thing. Yup. Nothing quite like farm living.

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    1. Hi Holly,

      You said a mouthful, with you last sentence!

      Living on the farm certainly does teach you to roll with whatever gets toss your way, doesn't it? :)

      Delete
  8. My husband would agree with you.
    We have days like this every day it seems, not involving tractors but still. Having a business sucks and is great all at the same time.

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    1. Hi Funny!

      It sucks and is great all at the same time. I wonder how many people understand what you mean when you say that? I do.

      I hope your husband gets treated like I did, on his bad days. :)

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  9. I just love a good tractor love story!

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    1. Hi Stephen.

      In that case, maybe I should tell my, loving in the tractor, love story?

      Delete
  10. I'm glad your day ended with that well-deserved trifecta of coffee, doughnuts and sex.

    P.S. Farmers rule, and they never get the glory they deserve.

    xo From a foodie, and an avid supporter of local farms.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm trying to talk my wife into ending every day like that, but asking for ALL 3,every night, would probably kill me.

      Thanks about the farmer thing, I'll try to grow you something extra special for your cooking. :)

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  11. My favorite part of this story was the line about the neighbors gathering to gawk. Because it didn't seem like my favorite part should be your sex life.
    The donuts came in a close second, however.

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    1. Good call, I'll try to write less enticing sex scenes, so this dilemma doesn't come up again. :)

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  12. Sex and doughnuts? Man you did score big....unless you had sex WITH the doughnuts. In that case it would just be plain weird!

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    1. I'm a little weird, but not that weird!

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  13. As a heavy coffee drinker, I'll confirm it can make the shittiest days seem less important. That's probably why I drink so much of it...

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    1. Hi Annika,

      I do love my coffee as well. I may have to start packing around the stuff, just in case I have to brew up a cup or two when things start going to hell in a handbasket.

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  14. Facts of life... if we do something amazing no one will be around to witness it, if we do something dumb, the whole neighborhood shows up to watch! :-) Actually, sex and donuts sounds like a pretty great combination to me... not a bad way to end the day! It always makes me smile to read the nice things you say about your wife and how you enjoy her company... it says a lot about your relationship. :-)

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    1. Hi Josie!

      I always enjoy the time she gets to spend with me when she brings me supper out to the tractor and rides along for a while. I think that may just be one of my favorite things. :)

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