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Sunday, July 13, 2014

What A Ride!


 Yep your eyes are not deceiving you I am actually posting again within a week of the last one. As they say miracles do happen.

You might also see a pattern going on here as of many months. It's either cat problems or tractor issues.
I would not blame you if you took a moment and muttered under your breath "Not a Again!  Enough already with cats and mowing." But in the summer time that seems to be all that his ole Grandma Yellow Hair fills her days doing. Sad I know but I keep telling myself how lucky I am to have a job at my age or in this economy.

After a few hours of mowing I pulled up my tractor to the house to quench my thirst with some cold water. Ten minutes later I crawl back up on Ole Blue and apparently he's not finished with his break because not a sound or purr when I turned the key. I checked and rechecked my gears to make sure everything that should be in neutral was and tried again. Still we are not going anywhere.

Moments like these I am totally puzzled with farm machinery. It happens all too often out here on the North Forty. After a good ten minutes or more I convince myself no matter how much I sit on this tractor in complete confusion of how it could be running so smoothly one minute and dead the next. That of course unfortunately happens to humans too not just equipment. Sorry just my fingers typing what my thoughts were for a split second.

Anyway back to my tractor problems. I give up and decide to jump it off. I go after the backhoe and decide to see if I can use it. No luck the tractor is dead.

I leave it and finish mowing with the Bad Boy Mower. It takes longer but does a good job.





The next day my brother Gary comes over and hooks a chain to Ole Blue and the back hoe. He tells me to get up on the Blue and just keep the wheels aligned with the back hoe wheels. His idea was to pull the tractor to the back of the property under trees where he can work on it. 

Like a fool I figure he knows what he is doing and I climb on for one heck of a ride.  Not  a minute into this he misses running into a utility pole near my house. For some unknown reason he is driving the backhoe but facing me and not looking where he is going. Still as I am writing this I have not figured his reason for this.

Thank goodness he managed to stop on a dime when he heard my screams and saw the horror on my face.

Of course when he stopped that fast I kept going on the tractor and I soon learned how out of control I was because the brakes were not working. Some how I managed to turn the front wheels to keep from hitting the back hoe head on. The wheels connected though and what a mess we were in with the chain wrapped around now the wheel and us both so close to the pole. Somehow Gary maneuvered us out of this close call and reluctantly I let him keep pulling me.

Not twenty yards from the pole I knew that was a mistake. He was going way to fast and I had no control of this monster I was now on. Scary as heck to be so high up on a piece of equipment and your not in control.

Like a crazy woman I am screaming for him to slow down. Then I am screaming at him to just park it but he is being the brother I remember as a boy and totally ignoring me. 

Then much to my horror I realize we are going down hill. OH My Gosh I can tell you I then thought this might be my last tractor ride. He finally woke up and realized I was in trouble. The tractor was now going almost as fast as the back hoe and I was going to run into him. I am trying my darnedest to turn those big wheels to miss him. Once again I get lucky and only connect with the wheels. 

Finally after a lot more screams from me Gary finds the spot he wants to park it. He jumps down from the back hoe and I have to say my heart is racing. All he can say is I wish I could follow you around for a day with a recorder and video you because I could make some money on America's Funnest Home Videos.

He then tells me that after that display I put on he would never guess I worked in a prison. I told him I never rode a tractor in prison. hahaha 

I tried to explain to him that being on something that large and no control was not something I would ever let him talk me into again. Brothers they never change. He probably laughed about it the rest of the day.

I am feeling better since taking the medication for acid re flux. Hopefully I am over the worse part of what ever was going on with me. Your sweet comments in the previous post were as always appreciated so much. It's great to know that I have so many lovely sweet friends in this amazing world of blogging.

I am still stressed though with my two outside cats. Momma kitty is still being  mean to the other. Not sure yet what to do about this terrible problem. 

Still waiting on my bridge. Not a good week running around toothless. Needless to say I made very few trips to town. haha Since Toby ate my bridge others have told me about their experiences with dogs eating dentures and retainers. So warning it seems dogs love anything that has been in our mouths.

I did hide in the movie theater and watched Jersey Boys. If you get a chance to see the movie I think you will enjoy it as much as I did. I thought Clint Eastwood did an excellent job of picking the actors to play the four seasons.

Thank you so much for coming by and visiting with me. I love it when you let me know how you are doing.

Love to all
Maggie


22 comments:

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

I sure understand...cats and dental issues, at least. Tractors not as much -- but your adventure with Gary sounds harrowing! It's so great to get a chance to visit with you, Maggie!

Buttercup said...

Oh Maggie, what an experience. Glad you're feeling better and hope for a quick resolution for your bridge. So glad to see you blogging.

P.S. I put aside a book for you. Please send me your address -- cornwallst59@hotmail.com -- and I will send it to you.

joanne said...

you and your adventures never cease to amaze me...I'm so glad you are o.k. after what could have been a very bad situation. take care out there and check in again soon. love and prayers my friend...;j

Gorges Smythe said...

The only logical reason that I can think of him driving backwards was to freak you out. You can't divorce brothers, but maybe you should remind him that that you CAN murder them!

Paula said...

OMG I'm glad you are okay. I've had some scary experiences on the ranch with John but nothing as exciting and scary as yours.

Julia said...

Oh my goodness, I wish I could have seen this movie. The movie of Maggie's Blue Tractor meet Big Black Hoe . hahaha.
All kidding aside, I'm sure glad you are OK and the equipment didn't got tangled too badly. This could have ended in tragedy. I can't even imagine......

Have you check if there's fuel in the tractor? It could be a dead battery, or the starter, or a celluloid or loose wire. I know nothing about tractors but I hear my husband talk about what goes wrong with his sometimes.

Thanks for stopping over my blog Maggie. It's always a treat when you come by for a visit. I hope you got that tractor figured out by now.

Maggie, life is way to short to spend it worrying about outdoors cats. Maybe that hissing cat has a pain that makes it irritable.

I hope that you blog more ofter even if you don't have tractor issues.
Take care,
Hugs,
JB

Olga said...

Maggie, Maggie, Maggie. I am so very sorry, but I laughed like your brother. You have a knack for painting a picture with your words!

Linda said...

You certainly have more adventures than I do. I've never driven a big tractor, but a long time ago, I did learn to ride and use the riding mower. I hated doing the ditches.My hubby just laughed at me. Now, HE does it!

Have a good day, and be safe!

We went to Steamboat springs last week and I have decided I like looking at the mountains, but I don't really like driving up and down them. Rabbit Ears pass had snow!

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

With as much as my brother enjoyed tormenting me when we were kids, I can almost imagine him "pulling" a stunt like your brother did if we had tractors and the such. And if he would have laughed about it, I probably would have responded with a well-placed kick to his shin. (Just because we're old doesn't mean we have to be mature!)

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

My heart was in my throat just reading this, Maggie! I can only imagine how frightening that must have seemed.

Jean said...

Glad to hear you are okay, that was a scary ride. Sorry about your bridge I had one to break once, but with luck it was in the back teeth. I enjoy your blog and can't wait to read a new post from you. Jean

Arkansas Patti said...

I'm impressed that you not only drive a tractor but a backhoe also when you tried to jump the tractor. Next time, if there is, put him in the tractor and you drive the backhoe. Can't be any scarier and he needs to know what it is like and be sure to laugh like crazy.
I agree with Julia that the cat may have some pain issues since she was recently spayed.

Debby said...

Oh My I bet you were so scared. He must have been pretty sure you wouldn't get hurt. Yikes. Glad you are feeling better. Hugs

Just Mags said...

Oh, my goodness sweet Maggie! I am sure glad you, Gary and the equipment are okay. That had to have been very scary. Hope your partial comes in soon and I am happy to hear you are getting better with the reflux medicine. If Mama cat keeps that up you may have to find a home for one of them. Has the vet seen her again to see if something is going on with her to cause her to be acting like that? Hugs

yaya said...

I thought I had it bad when I got stuck down by the creek with my zero turn mower! You had me on the edge of my seat with that adventure..whew! Glad it turned out OK. Your cat trouble reminds me that I'll never understand cats! Squeak hates all cats that get near the house. She can be good entertainment at times. Yesterday she went after a chipmunk on the deck...only problem was she was in the house with a closed sliding door between her and the rodent. Yep, she smacked right into the glass. I tried not to laugh...sort of!

Unknown said...

Oh Maggie you are such a hoot! I would give anything to have seen that wild tractor ride! Love your stories!

Libbie said...

All I can say about all the tractor business is...BOYS!!! I totally get it :) Married to one who sounds like Gary. Kelly's motto is live life wise open. At work they call him WO for Wide Open :) but it sure makes for an adventerous life :)

Love you Mags!!!!!!!!!!
Mow on girl!

wendy said...

Maggie I am so glad you came out of your wild tractor ride without a scratch!! Brothers!! gotta love them! Glad to hear your feeling better. Take care.

Just Mags said...

Hi, sweet Maggie thanks for dropping by and commenting on Patches and the honey bun. We are all doing fine. Hope you and your family are doing well. Let me know how it works if you try the calming medicine. I do hope it works for that little sweetie and all will be peaceful between them once again. Love and hugs!

Sybil said...

What a woman you sure are my dearest Maggie...yoou give me a laugh every time I see a new blog entry...what you failed to tell us was ...was Gary able to repair the old tractor ? and what was wrong with it....It sure was a wild and crazy tow !!!Hope that you have your bridge back. Yes dogs are famus for eating dentures ...and in a friends case even her hearing aid was well chewed before she saw what he was attempting to eat !!!
Hope you are having a lovely July. We are having the best weather for July that it's ever been warm and sunny..think the best July we have had in years.... Although it usualy ends with a spectacular thunder and lighning storm which we had from Thurs overnight from around 1.30am till 2.30 then again Frid night from around 1.20 till 3.30. I gave up lying in bed and came through to the sitting room with Masy and sat enjoying the "fireworks" now we are back to lovely warmth again...long may it last...Keep well and take care...till next time God Bless xx

Annie said...

Usually don't comment, but the tractor story did it. Had to laugh because a friend just rented a trailer today and took his new tractor in because it wouldn't start. He's very mechanical and thought he checked everything. But it ended up just being a slightly loose wire on the starter. He had a little excitement getting the dead tractor in the trailer, but nothing like playing chicken with a back hoe :-)

Julia said...

Hi Maggie, I had to come over and check in on you.
I hope that you didn't had some serious confrontations with that big stubborn tractor and back hoe.....

I worry about you. The men's work you do is a bit much for a girl your age. ( not that you're old but not a spring chicken either like me).... I'm closing in on 68 in November and it will be here in the blink of an eye.
I need to find a way to slow down that clock.

I hope your cats are behaving and that you have your new partial by now.

Take care and I hope that you have a great week.
Hugs,
JB