Farmer Franny

When we got out of therapy yesterday I had a message from my mom telling me they needed help in the hay field. That's an offer you can't refuse. When the hay is on the ground you have to work like the dickens to get it up before rain appears which will ruin it. I guess that's where the phrase "make hay" comes from. (For those of you that don't know, my dad is a CPA during the day and a gentleman farmer by night.)

We sped out to the farm and I didn't even go to the house to change out of my go-town-clothes. Also did a little happy dance in my head about the opportunity to help in the hay field. I'm probably the only person I know that LOVES to get up hay. I love the smell of the hay and the feel of it blowing all around me as I'm riding through the pastures. It's a beautiful thing. A trip down memory lane too. My dad and grandfather started me driving tractors in the hay field when I was around 6 or 7. It was a blast!!!! The only problem was that I had to drive the f*rd tractor and it was a hateful old thing. I'd have to stand on the brakes and clutch because they were so hard. Evidently my grandfather felt sorry for me around the time I was 12 and got me a used Internati*nal tractor that didn't require full body weight to stop. I was in heaven! My dad did have to remark about my (not) farming clothes and shoes. I thought my cute black sandals made a real statement on the tractor. ;-)

Today that wonderful tractor is still working on the farm and yesterday it was all mine again. Oh my! I was in heaven. It's a love thing with me and that tractor. Everyone else in the field had those fancy, smancy front-end loader tractors. Not me and I was as happy as a pig in slop. Me and the Love Tractor.

We didn't get all the hay in the barn yesterday so I knew I'd get the opportunity again today. The skies were cloudy this morning and it started sprinkling on us as we went to the farm. It was a race against rain to get the hay to the barn. Full RPM's speeding across the field. What a blast! The only problem was my sweet ole tractor can only carry one bale of hay at a time because it only has a spear on the back. A front-end loader has a spear on the front and back so you can do two at a time. I was getting a little frustrated because I could only carry the one bale and not having enough time with the rain coming. You can't put wet hay in a barn. It will catch on fire when it builds up heat. The only problem was I have never driven a front-end loader. It's pretty difficult to maneuver the front spear and takes a lot of practice. The brakes, clutch, gas and gears are all in different places from the Love Tractor.

My dad must have known I was getting frustrated so he called me over to the front-end loader and gave me the 2 second lesson. Like I was going to get it. Yeah. Let's put me on a tractor I've never driven with 3 spears on the front and 3 spears on the back. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the field with me. Scary stuff. I told everyone to clear out of my way and they all went to the hay barn to unload the last trailer that had left the field. I took off on my own to spear me some hay. Bet the hay was shaking too. ;-D

The bale I was after had turned over on it's side so I had to stand it up first with the spear then back up the tractor, readjust the spear and pick it up. I did it on my second try!!!!! I threw my arms up in the air in my best "Rocky" fashion punching the sky. Thinking I was alone. Hmmmm....not so much..... When I turned the tractor around to go to the barn there stood my mom. Starting to feel all embarrassed in an instant then my mom did the "Rocky" pose too. It was very cool. She couldn't believe I did it either. You know she was standing on the edge of the field because she was worried about me. Aaaawwwww....

Maybe the Internati*nal will be J's someday....cause I think I just fell in love with another tractor. ♥♥♥

Just call me Farmer Franny....