I have been a little bored at my plant science lab job this past couple weeks. We haven't had a lot to do- or at least not enough for three people to keep busy. But, it is rather nice just to be able to slow down a little bit and just type in data on the computer or clean and do simple, mindless tasks. But, it does get dull after a while. It's picked up now a bit this week since our main boss is back from running her summer greenhouse so maybe things will be a little faster paced in the lab from now on.
As far as the farm job...o so much is always happening. I wish I blogged more often and could include more of my riduculous stories and happenings. I have earned the nick name "wrecking-ball" and that's rightfully so. It seems that everthing I touch has been breaking down. I've gotten several flat four wheeler tires for no reasons that we will ever know. The wheel bearing when out on one of them when I was driving it the day before we really needed it to sort and work pairs. So, Chad (my boss) went to Madison and dropped it off to get fixed- and bought a new one while he was ther! haha only Chad would do something like that. He claimed he was going to buy one for his wife anyway...he said it was a Valentines/Birthday/Mothers Day present...haha! ...men
I've had plenty of other break downs as well including- the 7800 tractor AC, the steering cyllinder on the 7800...which by the way has snap rings on the pins so thaty ou don't have to pound out the dumb roll pins for a half hour before you find those snap rings... O and best of all I had the one inch shaft break on the feed wagon last week. It was on my last load on a day when I needed to leave early to get home for something or another (I don't remember). So, I get out to the pasture and SNAP! I thought it was just a shear pin, but to my horror the entire shaft was loose. As is turns out it was worn and old and already cracked. But still, I felt pretty bad leaving with the load still in the wagon and a broken feed wagon. Now, we're having trouble with the agar I use everyday to put mineral in the feed rations...it just never ends.
It seems like something riduculous is always occuring around their. The other day we loaded out pairs and Bryan, Chad's friend who also works for him was hauling out loads. We basically bring all the cows and calves into a couple lots and then sort of ten pairs at a time, move them to the barn and work the cows and calves. Then, load them up into a 30 ft stock trailer and haul them to various pastures. Well, one place the Bryan went was really muddy and you have to drive through the owners yard to get to the rented pasture. Appartenly Bryan got stuck in the yard after he unloaded and they had to PUSH him out...He was all cranky about and being annoying but we needed cattle there. So Chad sent him back there three times! haha it was hillarious the second time was fine but the last time he got stuck with the trailer loaded and no one was around. He called Chad, but their call got cut off and then Chad Forgot! So Bryan had to unload the cows in the yard and chase them to the pasture. I would have paid to see that.
Another funny story, last night the rear outside wheel bearing went out on the 9520 tractor that pulls the huge disk. So, they unhooked the disk and got the tractor hauled home. Chad sent Randy (the full time hired man who is really good to work with) and Jeff (summer help every year, he teaches in Kimball and is origianlly from Sinai) to go get the tender truck and disk with a big truck. Well, apparently the boys didn't think this one out well and Randy ended up with way too much weight too far back and off of his back axle. He got stuck on a dry gravel road going uphill with his back wheels off teh ground. Jeff pulled him up the hill with the tender truck- I bet it was hillarious.
Another random fact...apparently barn rats (like the huge cat sized ones) are omnivores. Yesterday Chad said he saw literally hundreds of them eating on a couple dead cows we have in a pit that has been underwater way to long. He said he pulled up right next to them with the four wheeler and they didn't even move. Nasty! We didn't shoot them because we want to get rid of those gross cows but tomorrow...I can't wait to get the shotgun out! I also have to open a new 'ag bag' of corn tomorrow...and am a little nervous about all the critters who might greet me as I cut the bag open. O well! As I like to say- they probably don't bite, and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger! I hope this theory works with barn rats...
Stuff like this seems to happen a lot. There is just a lot going on but I think it'll slow down as soon as the spraying and fertilizing does. Today they just started cutting hay so I think I'll be on my own to take care of teh place for the next few weeks. That doesn't really bother me. I would like to visit the ranch soon. Next weekend I would have but I'm going on a family vacation to my aunts lake home. I have never gone beacuse I've been out west, so this will be a good opportunity to take a couple days off. But afterward it's back to work...and then maybe Martin for a couple days :)
I've been trying to keep up with things at home and that's going decently. We got all the corn and beans in that we are going to for the season. It was not a good year for numbers, but the preventative planting insurance will help a lot. One night I drove all the way down to do a few hours of field work (after I broke the 1" shaft) and I drove over a rake tooth and put it through the tubed outside dual...needless to say my bad luck carried over to home too! But we got it fixed the next morning so no huge worries.
Well, I'm going to try to do a better job of keeping this blog up. It's just really hard when I don't get home until 11 or midnight and leave by 7:45. But I'll work on it:) I"m actually attending a welding workshop for teachers today/tomorrow so I've got a bit more energy tonight. It's been really good and I'm glad I took off work at the lab to do it. But, goodnight for now, I"ll try to write again sooner than later!
