Chopping and Trimming the Fat
September 11th, 2006 by Northern FarmerI got a few minutes so I figure I’ll post a quickie here so folks don’t start figuring that I only post after twenty five or more comments. Day four of silage is under the belt, all is going good except I think the throw out bearing in the 4320 JD is going caput. Push in the clutch and the tractor keeps going for a bit. I’m not looking forward to splitting that big tractor, there gotta be an easier way, hmm. But with allot of prayer that old reliable tractor might make it. That would be the first major repair on that tractor ever, and it’s a 1970 model, I think. They just don’t build ‘em like that anymore.
But, yesterday was a darn good day, a bit chilly and cloudy, but it is September so that’s pretty normal getting days like that. We went to church as always, completing our first full year at our Little Bible Believin Church in the Hills. Ended up being the last people to leave and a few short hours later our senior pastor and family came over for a visit. So much to talk about, but I think we did cover most of it for once. What a good time to be had by all!
In a few days life will get back to normal here, but then again I always say that. Maybe this is normal, always being over loaded with work, never figuring it’ll all get done but somehow it always does. Lookin at that workload and just having at it. Throw in a few disasters into the mix and call it a good day to boot. Driving a tractor that doesn’t want to stop when I push in the clutch and Praising Jesus the whole time, hmm, strange people out here, eh! But that’s country life the way I like it. Laugh it off! But the critters are growing, and we’ll squeak by with our droughted out crops somehow. Just have to trim the fat here a bit. Any deadbeat animals around here have a bleak future. Any cow with a below average calf had better hide pretty good from me these next couple of months. Trimmin time’s ah comin!
The garden is looking like a garden usually does in September around here, full of late summer weed, but they don’t bother the garden crops much at this stage of the game. Huckleberries are ripening, corn field pumpkins are showing up all over the dried up sweet corn patch now that they’ve turned pumpkin color. We have enough taters to feed an army. Our Central American corn that I planted in the far end of the garden is around 13 feet tall and finally deciding to tassel. Mark that one off, won’t work in Minnesota. Boy, the silage I’d have though if I could get about five hundred pounds of that seed. I never seen such a corn, awesome stuff. And it grew that good in this drought. But that’s one drawback of living so far north in farming country. Gotta have short day crops.
There, a little post, I didn’t think I’d be posting, but been feeling a bit guilty lately with so few posts. Nothing earth shattering, just normal day to day stuff. Tomorrow, back into the tractor that won’t stop, (literally), and chop some more.
September 11th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
Congrats on the one year anniversary. It sure doesn’t seem that long. Man time sure does fly. Well have a blessed day tomorrow.
September 12th, 2006 at 5:45 am
Thanks PJ! You have a blessed day over your way too!
September 12th, 2006 at 5:48 am
morning Tom,
got a good rain last nite, boy was it cold
you take care on that tractor~~~
God bless
September 12th, 2006 at 5:59 am
Hi Jan!
You take care too! This is the day that the Lord has made! What can I say, I’m in a good mood!
God Bless!
September 12th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Nice post Tom, glad the corn silage is going well, we have to wait a few weeks for our late planted OP corn to finish before we fill silo. About that tractor clutch, I have the same problem on my Oliver 1850, if you are working it hard the clutch doesn’t want to disengage. Our mechanic thinks that something has leaked onto the clutch plate and glazed it, causing the problem when it works hard (the problem doesn’t come up on light work like manure hauling) and, like you, I don’t look forward to having the tractor broke and the clutch replaced!
September 12th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Just writing to let you know that my blogging days are now over. It’s time to hang up the keyboard and get into more of what God wants me to do. I’ll still be reading just not writing. God Bless.
September 12th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
Brent,
Thanks again because after reading your comment the day improved a hundred percent!
Well, I’ll tell you, I think your right on about the clutch plate glazing. I read your comment this noon on my e-mail notification for the old blog and thought about it a bit. So I adjusted the grey matter between the ears and did a few things different driving and it’ll hold together for quite some time. Your right, it only really sticks when under heavy load. At the end of the field after I get it to disengage, it’ll work a bit better. And in the begining of the day I can work for a half an hour or so before the problem starts to show up for the day. Chopping silage is the only job where that tractor really has a huge load on it, even plowing and stuff I toodle along at half trottle. Barely works up a sweat. But with the rocks we have here you’d better go half trottle or under or the plow and disks will be tore in two, believe me, I’ve done it
PJ,
You’ll never believe this but this afternoon my wife came out to the field to bring me a snack and she was all worried where your blog went to! So when I got home I pieced it all together and now the rest of the family is all sad. But of course I’ll live, will miss it though, it was always one of my daily stops. But a guy has to do what a guy has to do, eh! Don’t tell anybody, but there’s been a number of times when I had the old trigger finger on the delete this blog button. So close.
But, what the hey! I’ll be seeing you all the time anyhow. Not tomorrow night though, I figure we should be done with silage sometime Friday, then cover the pile and another year under the belt. Say high to the kids for me tomorrow night, I really will miss them. Good kids!
And remember to jump in here anytime you want to comment, you’re an important part of this blog as are all the rest. That’s what keeps me going!
September 13th, 2006 at 5:13 am
Morning Tom,
Glad to hear that you had a good day!
yes it was a sad day yesterday in blogland, when I heared PJ was leaving
I hope you don’t stop writting , I would miss it alot!
hey Tom when you say your prayers , would you say one for mom she fell yesterday, she said that she is alright , but sore.
well take care
and have a great day!
God bless
September 13th, 2006 at 5:30 am
Hi Jan!
Yup, another day that the Lord has made! Time to get outside in a bit and have at it. I don’t think you have to worry about PJ, you do have his e-mail address and I’m pretty sure he’ll be hanging around here and your blogs so he’s just a holler away! And I have no plans on destroying this blog as of this moment. Sometimes I do get frustrated but the good here outweighs the bad a hundred to one.
About your mom, you got it, prayers are on the way from me and anyone that feels the calling to pray for her. There’s tremendous power in simple prayer.
Well, I’ll check out some stuff on the old clunk of a computer and then get outside for the day.
God Bless!
September 14th, 2006 at 4:54 am
moring Tom
have a great day! Hi to family
mom said she was some better! when I went down yesterday to do the chores,
blessings
September 14th, 2006 at 5:31 am
Morning Jan,
I’m glad to hear about your mom!
Well, with a little luck and no breakdowns, earthquakes, tornadoes or cattle getting out we should get done chopping today or darn near to it! These last three weeks have been a crusher, not much sleep and go, go, go. I’ll be one thankful guy when it’s said and done. Kinda warm again here so the old tractor could be used for baking bread in the cab. Yesterday my skin color was changed until I showered up after 9 last evening. Just the whites of my eyes showing. But God is good and now another year is almost under the belt. I’d better belt down another couple cups of coffee and head on out!
Have a Blessed Day!
Tom
September 14th, 2006 at 5:49 am
Morning Tom,
Sounds like a winter “todew” list forming to me. I got one of those myself. The JD B’s water pump is leaking like a sieve, along with the rake and the bushhog (which I somehow lifted by the PTO shaft last week)….. arghhh.
Our garden closed about a month ago. Father in law’s garden I guess will close this weekend. First frost expected Saturday in Michigan. Looks like we might be enjoying the garden for years to come. The family decided to keep the 1/4 section and we’re going to get together every 4th of July for maintenence and a family reunion. They’ve already got someone to take the hay off every year.
Anyway, I guess its back to my to do list here after a few days of lolly gaggin’. I’ve got about 15 acres of pasture to plant here in a coupla weeks. I checked the Co-op yesterday, no vetch in yet to plant for the corn field.
Looks like we had a little rain while I was gone, but I sure am ready for more.
Look at it this way, its hard to sleep in the cab when the sweat is running down stinging ya in the eyes (sympathy is hard when my tractor cab is my straw hat :)… )
Take care, and have a GREAT day!!
Brad
September 14th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
Hey Brad,
Glad to hear that you all made it back! My todew list is pretty long, luckily I forget half of it most of the time so life goes fairly smooth. If you want cool weather just be around here next week, I see on the forcast that they’re talking about a high of 37 degrees one day next week. Long john weather fer sure.
Glad your back!!