Tractor!

Even though I was sick, this turned out to be a very productive weekend. Friday morning marked the end of months of searching as I finally located a suitable tractor in Hartwell Georgia, where Travis Carnes restores old ford tractors to their shining glory. I must admit, I got lost a time or two along the way, but there was no mistaking the address once I finally made it. The yard was full of tractors and more tractors, some in various stages of restoration and a few obviously used for mechanical cannibalization. This man lives and breathes tractors- He even has a hot rod street car, you guessed it, made from a ford tractor.

Out back, he was putting the finishing touches on a beautiful 1955 Ford Jubilee, which was the object of my interest. He was having trouble getting the starter to turn over, and this gave me a chance to get to know him while we worked together troubleshooting the cause. I guess I made a favorable impression on him, when after he replaced the starter soleniod to no avail, I suggested we measure the voltage going to the starter. When it turned up zero we disconnected the starter wire and got 12 volts, so the only logical conclusion is that the starter was shorted- which was indeed the case. After that I guess he figured "this boy from the city" might actually be worth talking to and he told me more than I could ever hope to retain about the mechanical workings the tractor, his philosophy on life and our general agreement on the sad state of social and political affairs in the world today.

I suppose for the same amount of money I could have purchased a newer tractor, but this deal was sweet in that it came with pretty much all the implements I will need for several years to come. Travis said he had hoped for a buyer that could really make use of the entire package. Besides the tractor, I have a 20 disk International harrow, cultivator, box scraper, 5 foot bush hog and some contraption called a Gee-Whiz plow. (?) But my main need at the moment is the bush hog, as my last cutting set me back $250. It is simple and just like the one my uncle Gene owned and used in the pecan groves for years. No offense to my (not the most mechanically inclined person I know) uncle, but if he was able to keep a tractor running I have a pretty good feeling I should be able to.

I also got the first round of the orchard planted. Linda and I selected fruit trees from a local nursery, which was reported to be a bit pricey but at $15 each I still found it to be less than half the price of home depot and other garden centers around the area.

We planted Gala and Granny Smith apple trees, Alberta and Jubilee peaches, Keiffer pears and a cherry. We didn't even make a dent in the orchard space so I'm sure there will be more to follow. I haven't even purchased the almond trees yet, and there simply must be some pecan trees, for a measure nostalgia if nothing else. Standing in the incomplete orchard looking up the mountain I could envision the vineyard, but that was getting ahead of ourselves.

I met one of the neighbors who in past years has cut hay on the land and invited him to feel free to cut this season as well, explaining that it would actually help me out by keeping it mowed. By the time the trees were in the ground, the upper pasture was nicely cut and a grateful new friend was made. I also saved some money by not having to pay to get it cut, so it was a win-win situation all the way around.

When I mentioned my next purchase was going to be a band saw mill he told me of an estate sale and said he was sure I could buy the one there for what I would pay for a new one half the size and half as good. He also told me about a man down on his luck who was collecting and selling scrap metal and said he would be glad to have him come by and take some scrap tin off my hands. So in spite of his warning about the abundant rattlesnakes and copperheads I fired up the weed eater and mowed around the pile and stacked all the rusty pieces in a nice pile, which will hopefully be gone by next weekend.

We only saw one snake, neither rattle nor copperhead, and to Linda's delight, it didn't stick around very long before slithering under the freshly cut grass in the field. I laughed as she tip-toed across the field tapping the rake on the ground in front of her, and thought of the wife on the TV show Green Acres who would rather be shopping.

Sunday afternoon I went down to my parents place to weed the garden and enjoy dinner. The weeding part I can handle, they come up easy with a hoe- it's the grass I hate. The garden spot is in bad shape and I can already tell this year is going to be a constant battle with the crab grass. The garden looks good with the weeds gone and we have a good stand of everything. The black beans and calypso are not up yet, but everything else is up and off to a good start.

Looks like it is going to be a wonderful and busy summer.