Doing donuts in the parking lot; or, I have a lot to learn about farming
I’m quite sure that if we had any neighbors out here at the farm, they would have heard the screaming. If there’s one thing I’m real good at, it’s screaming. My lungs - despite recurring pneumonia that began when I was a toddler living in the damp and dirty tenement slums of Montreal - are strong, and my voice is loud. I scared the chickens today.
Very much like my experience in January jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet, today I faced my fears by learning something new. Keep in mind, though, that I come from a land of concrete. I moved from those dirty slum basement apartments to giant hi-rises overlooking the cities of Montreal and Toronto. Grass, to me, is something to be smoked, not mowed. And so today when I hopped on the zero-radius seated mower and began spinning in wild circles, I was petrified. Chickens and propane tanks made for effective slaloms. Hills and ditches had me moaning on the way up and shrieking on the way down. Beth was highly amused, even though it looks like her lawn was mowed by drunken circus monkeys (that’s not far off, really).
Those of you who have lived in the suburbs all your life are laughing right now, and with good reason. It was hilarious to watch, and I even found myself laughing, too. Mostly out of fear! Where I come from, trees have metal grates around the bottom of the trunk, allowing them to be watered through the sidewalks in which they grow. The word “park” generally means a paved space with a few benches and little shade. City people complain of hay fever without every having come into contact with actual hay. So to say that this morning’s wild circles and arcs were a bit scary is an understatement.
Next stop: The tractor!
You will handle the tractor. Like every other hard task in life, procedures can be broken down into smaller, easier to master steps. (And I don’t just say that because I used to work with developmentally disabled people who ran a tractor.)
Seriously, you have taken on a number of new things recently. You probably would not have seen yourself doing so a little while back. I think you’re allowed to grow into it, and you seem to be taking an accelerated track, anyway.
Comment by tasteslikechicken — September 23, 2008 @ 8:17 pm
I bought one of those this summer. Quite a machine and like you, the learning curve is best not observed! My question after a few trial runs was why did they put a cup holder on it when it takes 100% consentration and 2 hands at all times to run it?
These are the questions of our time.
Comment by MissouriRodger — September 24, 2008 @ 8:03 am
I just applied to volunteer to mow my daughter’s school yard. I grew up operating a very large mower.. if I did it as a kid.. you can do it..I just hope you don’t get eaten by the egret size mosquitos we had in Michigan…
Comment by Ms. aloha — September 26, 2008 @ 1:18 am
I really am growing to love your site! Now, if you want a taste of REAL country life visit http://www.bodocktimes.blogspot.com and read the two Big Al vs - storys that are there. (The website belongs to an internet friend that left the country for a few days… oh well, thats what you get when you give somebody else the keys to your blog!) Anyway, now that you remind me, I need to go mow my yard.
Al
Comment by Big Al — September 27, 2008 @ 8:26 am
Way to go girl, you’ll be a fine farmer some day. We all experiance a little sense of doubt when we try new things, as a kid for me it was the first time driving a self propelled swather, then first time driving a combine, then first time driving a grain truck, then I finaly got to drive the car. That’s the thing about being in the country, you get to try new things, you get to screw up, and you get to laugh yourself silly over it. Keep on trying new things, keep on laughing and keep on posting it all in your blog.
Comment by Tim — September 28, 2008 @ 8:20 pm