On the Farm Mowing Hayfield

Another farm weekend. The big hayfield had not been cut this year until three weeks ago when I began mowing it. Did not finish. So Saturday again moved the diesel from town to farm to mow. Took most of the day, with help from Debra who had never driven a farm tractor before, even though she was raised on a tobacco farm. My late Uncle Buddy loved to see his front year freshly cut, calling it his golf course as it was so neatly manicured. Also mowed lawns at farm house and in town. Took old Ford tractor to farm to fix lanes so that we could drive without possibility of high grass wrapping around axles and ruining seals on vehicles. That made two trips to farm (ten miles each way) hauling tractors back and forth. LONG day! Got blistered forehead and neck. Even the new 16 foot farm trailer was not long enough to haul John Deere with front bucket and rear mower, and I was not about to detach either. Found out later the ramps to the trailer are detachable, but they are heavy angle iron and not to be dealth with lightly, pun intended. Had to chain ramps to mower and scrape blade to keep them from dragging on roadways.

Enjoyed First Methodist Church service in Winnsboro on Sunday. Mom and I then went out for lunch and saw lots of homefolks. I stayed over and drove back to Florence Monday AM.

Yesterday was Shannon's and Tim's second wedding anniversary. And today would have been Dad's 91st birthday---born in 1915, he passed away in October of 2000, shortly after his 85th birthday. He would have loved watching me mow the hayfield, load and unload the equipment, and take care of the farmland. I often think of him and how much he tried to teach me; his examples were especially strong and effective. When we would go hunting, he never would let me shoot anything that was not going to be eaten. Once I shot into a flock of blackbirds and got reprimanded for killing birds that we would not eat. Lesson learned! Thanks, Dad. For everything.....