Saturday, May 4, 2013

Saturday Adventure

For some time, too long, he's been wanting and planning on purchasing a used tractor to keep at our small farmette in West Virginia. We rarely go there because of the new farm, but still pay the minimum electric and the property taxes. He thinks this is a waste of money, but we really don't have the time to get up there because of the mowing requirements and lack of amenities.

Extremely isolated, have electric but no plumbing, there is a pump in the spring head, but no WiFi or cell coverage. We no longer have a trailer on the property so we can't really spend the night without the living quarters trailer unless we dry camp. And that has been the dilemma all along.

Like the riddle with the Fox, the Hen and the bag of corn, we couldn't get the tractor there to mow and do maintenance and also bring the living quarters trailer. Everything was more complicated. He wanted to have another tractor and mower already up there, in the barn.

After searching for months and months, false starts and dashed hopes, he finally found a tractor, a Case International with mower deck and a tiller. In Harrisonburg, Virginia. we started out early, an hour and a half drive, then took nearly two (2) hours to get the implements and tractor on the flat bed. O boy.

We immediately went to West Virginia. Along the way, close to our place he saw something fly off the flat bed. At the same time it hit the roadway a truck ran it over. We stopped where we could along this two-lane by-way and he couldn't see anything missing from the trailer. We proceeded on our way, stopping at the South End Grocery.

Some things NEVER change, and this place hasn't in twenty years. We left without any purchase, just like the last time we foolishly stopped there. Apparently you have to already know the employees to get any help, and we don't, so we left, again. We stopped at the Lost River Store, where they were selling pulled pork and the parking lot was busy. It was well worth it.

He mowed until 5:30 p.m. He does like the tractor, it needs some work here and there, but will be a reasonable addition to the farming enterprise.

We took inventory of what still needs done at the place: complete the electrical work from the barn to the shed row stalls; install more boards, which are on hand, complete the fronts of the four corrals and cut some fallen trees down. Another of our apple trees had heaved over, covered in blossoms but laying on top of the picnic table. Level out the sand base in the corrals. Install lighting system, on hand, to the corral rails.


On the telephone pole there are several flood lights. One of the light assemblies is encased in a huge bee hive. Not more than 12 feet off the ground, looks like a paper lamp shade. No bees.

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