Bad Luck.

I don't even know how to describe today- the more I think back on it- the worse it looks! Let me just start by saying I didn't realize how much didn't go right today until this afternoon!

So we started with chores, which were fine. Shortly after, Dean and I gathered all the aluminum cans from the place (which can be found in a can or bagged up in about every building we use) and bagged them up and loaded them into the trailer to send with Merle and Adrienne to Rapid. We ended up with quite a load so I hope they at least got something for them. It's actually kinda nice to get them all out of here because you can't burn them or do anything else with the darn things but crush 'em. So, we loaded them up and I fueled up the pickup and got it ready for them to go. They had to pick up the riding lawn mower in town as well so they took the trailer along- making lots of space for cans.

They took off, Dean went to fencing, and Ross and I went to farming...sorta. First, we had to get the tractor serviced and up and running. We filled all the fluids, cleaned the air filters and checked the tires. Well, I spent a fair amount of time on the dual tires because one was super low and the others were really hard to get at. Then, one of the front tires had wayy too much air in it- so I literally sat there with a ball point pen letting the air out for 10 minutes. The best part- we got to fill a bucket with Hy-Tran fluid and I'm holding the bucket up to the barrel spicket while Ross pumps the fluid in. I manage to let the bucket slip ever so slightly and get hydraulic fluid all over my shirt...it's not the shirt I'm concerned about- more so the terrible smell that comes with it! Then, we tried to switch the valve from heat to air conditioning with absolutely no luck. No matter what we did we couldn't get teh ac to work- and we tried all day long! It was jsut pushing out hot air like crazy...how frustrating! You would never dream servicing a tractor could be so difficult. We finally got it all ready and went to hook up to the disk. Besides a couple bad grease zirks we didn't have much trouble with that. Although, I first noticed that my grease gun had no battery so I ran back to get one and bring it back to the disk. Then, it has no grease, so I go get grease and fill it. Then, it won't prime and get pressure, so I mess around for another 5 minutes. Eventually, it about died from a dead battery...some luck.

We finally got it all ready to go and I went and opened gates for Ross to drive out. Well, the first gate I open, let him through, and as I got to close it the chain that holds the lever breaks right off. Ugh! Bad luck! At the time, I didn't give it too much thougth adn through the lever in the back of the pickup and shut the gate with wire instead. Little did I know it would only be the beginning...

We were headed to a 30 acre farm field over by Irelands, which would be just a mile or two north and east of Martin. We got there ok and let the pins down on the disk just fine. Ross wanted to disk so he got all set and I took off for Dicks. When I got there I decided to clean the net wrap off of the winter feed wagon. I spent way too much time looking for the electric hot irons we usually use to melt the net wrap off and after not finding them I just started using my knife. I also tried to hook up the wagon so I could get it all cleaned out using the pto. Well, despite all efforts I coudln't get the darn thing to hook up! I finally got frustrated and decided there must be something wrong with me if I can't get a pto hooked up right. Found out later that the tractor's pto reciever can be flipped and transfered to a different sized pto reciever shaft that fits that feed wagon...ugh. While I'm struggling with this I think I can hear a tractor in the distance but every time I look I can't see anyting coming. Eventually, Ross pops over the hill- can't be a good sign.

As he is pulling up to me with the tractor I can hear this hissing sound...and before he can even say a word i realize that his outside big dual tire is weather checked and has sprung a couple super bad leaks. Come to find out- he had to drive back to me because we left his tools in the pickup and one of the gangs on the disk had flipped over and he couldnt' get it off without a wrench. That was dumb- why didn't i think to leave him with his toolbox! So we raced back before his tire could get too flat, but that didn't work out either. The horses had followed him all the way through the pasture adn managed to get out in the short time that he told me what was wrong and I got my tractor put away. So, I had to chase them back in with the pickup- then we sped our way out of there. By the time we got back to the field it didn't matter anyway- the tire was flat and basically shot. We couldn't find the right size of box end wrench (of course) and the crescent wrench wouldn't hold the bolt we needed to turn on the disk- so we were out of luck anyway. With no luck there, we headed to town to find Harold, the tire man.

For about the first time today we had some luck in finding him and we talked him into fixing it tonight...we hope. So, we headed back home and loaded up some oats found Nancy, John, and Stephanie down at the corral. Nancy was doing some much needed mowing in the lot and Stephanie helped me and Ross with chores. We didn't have much trouble until it came time to feed the bucket calves. They managed to dump over an entire bucket of milk (the little farts)...so Ross had to remake that! Then, the Ross and his family headed out. I decided to keep on mowing and finish what was left. At least it looks a little better now:) Then, I headed home and showered. Just as I was finishing my shower the fire pager went off...fire meeting tonight that I had forgotten about. Merle and Adrienne were just getting home so I just headed out myself. It was fun to see some people again! It was mostly an explorer training night but I did learn a few new things. We worked with some oxygen masks and tanks, drove the trucks, and worked with the truck pumps and such. It was a good refresher. I do need to get all my gear together though... I'm a littel short on clothes that fit me- durin the year I'm sure they get shifted aroudn to people who need them! haha But, after taking the fire engine for a practice swing around town, I stopped by the post office and headed home. I saw a few deer on the road but was thankful for my handy dandy bright lights!

After that entire day my pager just went off...twice! But, there weren't much for announcements so I don't know waht the deal is. What I know is that I'm going to bed! Even Ross admitted that I should have quite after chores because no one wants to know what else could go wrong for us today! It's like we just constantly struggle.. :s

But I think we'll make it and I hope tomorrow is better!

"When you lose, don't lose the lesson."