It was close to lunch for the hounds and I when I heard farm equipment slowing down on the highway. They have worked this field pretty fast and with great weather it's been perfect timing for them. So while the hounds were gobbling their lunch kibble in one minute or less, I grabbed my camera and decided to take some pictures in sequence to give some of you an idea about the process.
I need to tell you right up front, that I am not a farmer, never have been a farmer and if it is not a tractor or a combine I have no clue what the different equipment is called. I know they are planting but I have no clue what the liquid is in the tanks nor what it's purpose is.
The first step was spreading out the planters. Based on what the ground looked like I am making a wild guess that they are not planting corn this year but soybeans.
Some of the readers might be able to make comments to clear up some of the small mysteries like that piece on the left side that is being expanded out pretty far. I assume that it is some sort of marker to tell the driver where to line up his return pass ... but again, just a guess.
While I am typing this I am asking myself why did Blogger decide to upload all of my pictures in a huge 'original size' ?? Those are bags of seed on those pallets and all the bags were loaded into the planter.
Their business must be good because it was just a year or two ago where their equipment was not this large nor this new. They have really beefed up their equipment. Also a couple of brand new Ford F-150's have stopped different afternoons to pick up the driver when he was finished.
I was tempted to walk over and get a closer view plus explain why they see me taking pictures whenever they are working in the spring or fall. I had all of the hounds outside and didn't want to do the routine with them for me to leave the house. They were enjoying their time outside.
These different steps of preparation were not quick. I had time to eat my salad with tuna, the hounds had time to eat, go outside and wait for me to come back outside prepared to clear my driveway bank.
Below is the piece of equipment that I think is some sort of marker but I'm not really sure about it. It has a single disc and nothing between it and the planter.
Once all of the planters were started to transport the seed, plus the tanks were turned on in some way, he was ready to go.
Looks like he is off to the races. Clear blue skies, not too hot and a gentle breeze to get our work done. Again today the wind was blowing a different direction than it normally does so all of that dust did not head our way.
I was planning on cutting all of those samplings along the bank of the driveway, I just didn't know I would start today. It's probably best that I am single and live alone because it's common for me to think I am going to do something like mow the lawn, give Stella a bath or even wash a car ... but in an instant my focus changes and then I am spending the afternoon with my lopper and tree pruning saw cutting anything and everything taller than ground level along the bank on the other side of the fence.
That might not look like much but the majority of these pains in the ass 2" saplings are further down the driveway. I'll take pictures tomorrow after I drag them into the driveway and then carry them to my burn pile to burn next fall. My burn pile is going to be huge next fall based on the number of these trees I cut today.
Like a couple of years ago, after I carry those small trees to the burn pile just past the top of my driveway I will let things dry out on that bank for a week or so and then light the bank on fire burning all of the dead leaves, old dried wild ragweed stems and hopefully those thorn bushes that cut me up today. I think this year I am going to spread some clover (Mary's suggestion) for ground cover and see how that works.
While the farmer planted his field and I cut small trees ... Heidi took a nap in the sunshine. Even when I walked past her she did not wake up. When I walked back outside with my camera she still did not move. Doesn't it look like she has gained a lot of her weight back?
Since the hounds were outside and I was down over the bank out of sight, I put Stella on the tether and hoped that Sadie would stay somewhere in the 7 acre field in back without going to the neighbors. They were out mowing grass so I thought there might be a chance that Sadie would pay them a visit.
They both wanted to let me know that everything was cool and they were in their best behavior. Sadie did walk over to the fence a couple of times and looked over the bank to make sure I had not killed myself with those NON power, NON electric hand tools. They knew the job was dangerous but I had to do it while the weather was nice.
It is suppose to be warmer Thursday and Friday so I should be able to clear the bank, move the trees and finally make it up on the roof to check things out. I have a few more limps to pickup and I need to blow my gutters clean with a leaf blower ... I find that to be the easiest and fastest way to clean the gutters, as long as I don't fall off the roof while walking along the edge.
I had to take a break for some water, and an apple. It was interesting to watch him put all of that equipment back in place so he could drive all of that down the highway. It is just a little wider than one lane.
Here you can see the difference after he raised all the wheels of the planter when everything was moved back into place.
This next picture shows some of the trees I cut that were further down the driveway. There is a larger group of those trees between the end of the fence and the highway. Based on internet searches and IF the small trees have been identified correctly, they would not grow taller than 20'. If they would grow taller than that, it would be harder job to cut them later when they were taller, also I have a clear sky to the SW for my two satellite dishes.
I have tried about everything possible to keep them from growing back but for every stem I cut, three to four grow back. I cut them back to the ground about every two or three years.
There is one thing good about working outside ... I get a good workout and I am tired enough to get to sleep before midnight, or even earlier.
The weather is great here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.
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