A Day In The Life (21 June 2024)

The goal for the day was to get up and be out of the house by daybreak, get the hay unloaded before the expected rain at 9:00 AM, and set the world straight again. Naturally, this would be easy enough going to bed exhausted so early in the evening. But, as usual, by the time we finished up with the final evening chores revolving the livestock and making sure all was secure for the night, getting to bed never is early in the summer months as the sun dictates the hours over the clock on a farm.

When getting up this morning, the first thing I did was check the weather. The rain was now not scheduled until afternoon. Back to bed I went for a couple more hours of sleep desperately needed. The hay would still be there, and I had the extra time now. As we all deal with when returning back to bed for a few extra winks, all we do is stir in-between short dreams filled with how everything you thought you had planned for the day goes to shit. So, after a spell of the nonsense, up I went to start the day.

After feeding and watering all those who were in earshot and visual of seeing the disruption of the normal activity, so as to avoid mutiny, I moved to getting the hay unloaded. The first step was getting the hay elevator moved from the perch it had been placed years ago as we moved to wrapped rounds several years ago. After some time working through exactly how I would move the elevator three bays down the barn alone without bringing it fully down to floor level, and without calling for help, I finally found a solution to the issue after a couple failed attempts.

Once I moved the elevator over to where it needed to be and I was ready to go, the next thing was to make sure the elevator was secure, the motor in position, and the belt proper as to make it an easy day. After several years with the elevator poised at the end of the barn at the doorway, although wrapped and secured over the couple years, I needed to readjust the motor and belt. Nothing unusual, and all adjustments made. Once I found an extension cord I was ready to test my adjustments. The damned thing didn’t work.

As I could not believe this, and stared in denial, I stupidly pulled the plug and reinserted it a couple times (as if the connection was not correct), it still didn’t start. In disbelief the elevator was not going to work I checked the outlet – fine. Next was to check and test the cord – fine. Do I want to spend the day troubleshooting – no. I decided I would just lift the bales with the tractor, 25 bales at a time, and be done with it. The day turned into a bread baking day.