Spikes and Springs

Once again, I did not write because my bed was too enticing.

Yesterday was one of those days it seemed...and today wasn't better. But, to start at yesterday.
I got up and did chores. They went pretty normally. Then it was on to the fun part...

Dean headed out to the field to cut hay, and since Ross was broke down him and I started in on a super fun project. It's called: Let's switch sweeps to spikes on the chisel! Everyone knows how much fun that can be. Merle headed out to work on the windrower and figure out what was behind the bolt under the header control box that was leaking that and waht would need replacing.

I got the disk unhooked and chisel hooked up and about that time Ross showed up and we blocked up the whole works and started in. This time, I decided to use the electric impact wrench...things go a lot faster that way. With some elbow grease, a can of WD-40, and an impact wrench, the job got done. It took some time (most of the morning) but we finished it. There was only one minor casualty...my nose! At about halfway done, I was tightening a bolt with the impact wrench when it sent a clump of dirt or grease or rock (whatever it was) up my nose and about to my brain! I have never had something lodged into my nasal cavity so far that it made it bleed immidiately. Ross was giving me funny looks and finally asked what was wrong with me- I said o nothing big- just have a clump of somthing shoved up my nose! Eventually it dropped down into my throat and I think I swallowed it...I hope so anyway cuz it gave me a headache for the rest of the day! What a dumb thing to have happen! Besides the point, we got them switched and Merle was able to find out that he could replce the piece with a cheap o-ring that he went and got in town.

After we got the chisels on we pulled it up to the mulchers and finished putting them on behind...another fun job. By then, it was dinner time. I went in with Merle and Adrienne and had some tasty food while Ross headed to the hayfield with his lunchbox. (I think I drew the better straw that time). By the time we ate and got our poop in a group we went out to the hayfield and finished what little bit was done before us. We have had so many breakdowns that yesterday we really didn't have much hay that was ready for us. Right before I got in the tractor I was saying how great it was that I hadn't had any huge problems or break downs yet... and I bragged too soon. The tacometer in my tractor quit- just like it did last summer. After some debate we remembered that it was a ground cable that we thought was causing it- so I'll have to give that a look! I know that tractor well enough that it wasn't an issue, but I won't be running it like that all season- it's just not a good idea. But, we finished that little piece and Ross and Dean kept cutting away at the next ones. By the time we were done they were almost finished so I hopped in Ross's pickup and we helped them move to the next field east of Hisle. We looked over some wheat there that has a pretty bad rust, but still doesn't look too bad, then went back to grab Dean's pickup. I got just a half mile or so away when Merle called and told me to come back and get him- that pickup had a broken leaf spring. And sure it did- in fact I noticed when it was parked at the shed this morning that it didn't look right, but I didn't give it too much thought because that pickup taked a beating all the time- bu tI guess I should have. Merle said he could feel it within the first five seconds he was driving. The front wheel had shifted so far forward that it was rubbing on the bumper and the other side had no clearance space between the axle and then engine block. ...who knows how long it's been driven like that. But, we didn't have a lot of choice, so Merle just limped it home and parked it. By then it was chore time. As I was going chores I notice that something scared the daylights out of Otis. I looked over, and here was a snake. I didn't see the right kind of shovel I wanted so I hollered for Merle and asked him to come and help. When we got some light on the snake (in the grainery) was saw what the deal was. It was jsut a bull snake making a lot of noise- but it was stuck in the wall with it's tail half out. It must have been the snake I saw in the wall the other day but couldn't get to. This time, Merle just grabbed it's tail and pulled. Boy, was it stuck- he definitly made it longer! It finally came out (flying of course). We kicked it out and killed it because it really doesn't need to be cawling around in there anyway. It wasn't very fat, so it must not have been doing a very good mice control anyway. Pretty sure teh cats had entertainment for hours with that one.

After chores, I headed to town with the pickup (it was giong to rain) for the fire training meeting. This month, they brought in some guys from Pine Ridge to teach us about fire investigation. I was a little late, but didn't miss much. There was a really good turnout and it was super interesting, but I struggled to stay awake! They actually didn't finish becuse the class it too long for just a coupel hours, so we are going to finish up next Tuesday night. So, I was glad I went to that. I grabbed my mail and started home. The road had some rain on it; it wasn't horrible but it was slick. I may or may not have spun around and hit the ditch just north of town and drove right out again... but who's to say?

So, I came home and parked it in bed. That was long enough of a night for me.