The ancient John Deere

Well, we are at that time of year when we casually walked out of the freezer and into the flame. We’ve been having these wonderfully cool days and nights. It made working outside pleasant and nights positively divine. Then we walked into hot and muggy weather…just like that. When I worked at our happy little homestead on Wednesday, the high was in the low 70s with a nice breeze. I barely broke a sweat. And now?

Ugh!

Ok…I know it’s going to get worse. I mean…it’s only MAY for crying out loud. But if you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I sleep all winter with the window open. I don’t care if the temperature is -20°…I’m sleeping with the window open. So I’ve set myself up for this. I just don’t like, or tolerate, heat like I used to.

We went out to The Farm yesterday to mow. It has been two weeks since Mr. FixIt went out and mowed for me and that grass was thick and wet. The old lawn tractor out there is a John Deere from the stone ages and I just baby the heck out of it so it will last. It’s literally held together with spit and glue. It goes through oil like a big dog. We checked the oil level and it was dry as a bone so we put a whole quart in.

Mr. FixIt put a new battery on it two weeks ago because it wouldn’t start. I jumped on the tractor and turned the key. It wouldn’t turn over. It wouldn’t even crank….it just made a buzzing sound. Mr. FixIt and I looked at each other and sighed. We pushed it out in the yard and jumped it with the truck. It started right up so I proceeded to mow the yard. It’s not big…maybe 3/4 of an acre. I was almost finished when the mower started making a knocking sound and I stopped it right away. Mr. FixIt checked the oil again and would you believe, it was bone dry. We couldn’t find where we were losing it and we didn’t have anymore oil.  We drove to the nearest little town and got some oil at Dollar General.

We bought a cold drink and some cemetery flowers and drove the ten minutes or so to the cemetery where my family is buried. I didn’t have enough flowers for everyone, so I put them on my mom’s grave and asked her to share them with Pop-Pop, Grandma, Uncle Sonny, And Uncle Bob. Someone had been up there since the last time I visited because there were angels and a glass cross and kitty on the headstones. It made me happy to some some came to see them.

We got back to the farm, put oil in the tractor, and I finished mowing the little bit I had left. Unfortunately, the tractor was still making the same noise. And it didn’t want to start. I sent a note to the new owner to explain what happened. We’ll see what they want to do. (We’ve been keeping the lawn mowed in exchange for me getting to stay at the farm whenever I want. It’s always been my safe landing place.)

It’s becoming more and more apparent that my time out there will eventually come to an end. There isn’t any running water anymore. There are trees that threaten to come down on the house if there’s a particularly bad storm. The roof leaks. The barn is beginning to tilt toward the creek. (There was a window in the barn that popped out from the pressure.) The electricity goes off way too easily and sometimes stays off for days. Yet, still…it is home.

It is home, but I’m weaning off the old girl. I’m so happy I can still go see her from time to time. I just don’t want to watch her die.

We stopped at the Pig on our way home. After supper, I watered the garden and the new plants I bought on Wednesday. It was another typical day at Marshmallow Ranch…filled with memories and hard work, heat and humidity. Oh, yeah…I got out my sourdough starter and fed her! I’m thinking we need some sourdough bread pretty soon.

Life is good!

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“So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

***Gratitude Journal***   
Today, I am grateful we can visit the old home place and take flowers to the family cemetery. I am grateful for the knowledge that someday, we will see each other again.