Looking For a Wrench
He'd heard a strange noise in the discbine and grabbed a couple of crescent wrenches to tighten on the loose part. Testing his repair, he set the wrenches down and wiggled and jiggled the connection to make sure his quick fix would hold.
With thoughts rushing ahead to the job at hand, he entered the cab of his tractor, adjusted some levers and revved the engine. He was ready to cut hay.
Outside rounds come first, marking the edge of the field. He guided the tractor and the discbine behind him in expert turns, dodging the irrigation ditches and fences with a practiced hand.
Soon he headed into the straight cuts across the field, each slice creating a green windrow behind him.
The radio spat out the latest political controversy and he talked to it, bemoaning the current state of affairs.
Somewhere in his brain... something clicked. He forgot about the tractor, the discbine, the levers and switches, the alfalfa he was cutting into hay, the talk show host and annoying commercials.
Those wrenches. Those two crescent wrenches. He had picked them up... right?
He dug into the small toolbox to look... and sighed.
No.
They weren't there.
His gaze looked across the half mown field. Somewhere out there, those wrenches must lay, shimmied from the top of the discbine. They'd have to be found, or they'd most likely gum up the baler when it gathered the dry hay. Maybe the metal detector could find them.
Nothing could be done about it now... and he shifted back into gear and took off once again, slicing the green alfalfa.
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I was sent to the field with my metal detector and drove and walked in search of the wrenches. I had no luck. I even took pictures of my endeavor. It's hours later and now I can't find my camera. It must be contagious, this loss of tools. It's frustrating. I know I had it in my little truck. At 11:30 at night, when I'm ready for sleep, it's nearly impossible to function, much less FIND something. It's kinda like looking for a wrench in a hayfield.
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Leave your questions here to be answered on Tuesday! I know I have a bunch of new readers... jump on in!
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August 13, 2010 All Work and No Play
August 13, 2009 Canyon Dogs
August 13, 2008 No entry.
Dang. That is only two down, things come in threes. Quick loose your mind if it isn't too late.
A question: Does age and source pay off? Really been studing it. Don't have to answer if you don't want.
Love your book stories.
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i am sure if this post had been written by your husband it would be full of obscenities =o)
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How many acres of hay do you grow? Is it mostly alfalfa? Round? Square? Or those huge squares they are doing now? We saw a truck load being delivered to the feed strode yesterday. Those things are HUGE! How many bales do you produce in a good year? And does it last you all winter?
I love the wrenches post. Been there done that. My father has had up combing the pastures for screwdrivers, wrenches, his glasses and gloves many times. Luckily we only had 7 acres to search, but when most of it was plowed black clay it was still very hard on the knees and calves. Oh, the glasses were lost in the 7th tall corn field. Never found those things.
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