Tractors, terraces and enjoying literature

INDIANOLA, Neb. - A long time ago, before I started working full time in nursing, I used to run the tri-flex or a disc depending on what Farmer Tom’s plan was for the eco-fallow.  We have one field in particular that has very long terraces that go one direction southeast and then you follow around and go northwest on the other side.  Needless to say, I thought all that driving was soooo boring, especially since Farmer Tom always insisted that one could only drive 4 miles per hour when working the soil.  

It was during these long terraces that I learned to read a book while I was driving.  I got pretty good at it too!  Luckily if I made a mistake like overlapping or missing a gap, I had plenty of time to fix it before Farmer Tom could see it. 

Normally I would work around the edge of each field first so that I could pay extra attention to the fence posts.  There may have been a time or two when I got too close to the edge and wiped out some posts.  Not a good thing when your husband’s passion is farming and I just made fence-fixing a priority.  UGH!

I can't remember any major breakdowns I caused when driving the tractor, but I'm kind of one to err on the side of caution. 

Since breakdowns can be costly, not only for the time one is down but also for any repairs that one has to make, believe it or not, "speed" was not something I did while driving.  

Road gear in the tractor is the highest gear full throttle, which took some getting used to.  I've never been particularly brave with an implement so slowing down any of our John Deere tractors was always a pain as they are harder for me to shift. 

My favorite "Red" tractor is much easier with the flip of my thumb.  Maybe new “Green” tractors are easier these days, but I'm pretty sure I'm never going to find out unless we win the lottery! 

Have a Good One!