I mastered some work today

"Kiltedpadre" (kiltedpadre) 09/05/2020 at 22:02 • Filed to: None

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My sister-in- law and her family just moved into the house they built on my in-law’s farm. We stopped by to visit and see the new place.

While there I hopped on the tractor that her husband’s family bought them as a house warming gift and knocked out a couple acres of mowing. There’s something almost meditative about tooling around on an open cab tractor for awhile.

That was followed by setting up a couple steal plate targets and letting some .22lr fly down range. Follow that with dinner and then evening involved spending some time seeing how long I could hang the back end out on a four wheeler while tearing around the grain bins the family owns.

All in all a damn fine day.

I really wish the farm was just a bit closer. My wife and her siblings are all entitled to free acreage at the farm to build a home. I’d love to do that, but it would mean at least 1.5hrs for me to get to work if we took advantage of it. Well, we all need dreams righ?

shop-teacher > Kiltedpadre 09/05/2020 at 22:48

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That is a damn fine day indeed!

Just Jeepin' > Kiltedpadre 09/05/2020 at 22:53

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 There’s something almost meditative about tooling around on an open cab tractor for awhile.

Yes. Yes there is.

jminer > Kiltedpadre 09/05/2020 at 22:53

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That sounds like a very nice day.

I agree with you on the mediation of mowing grass on a tractor. It used to be where I would do my best thinking as it was engaging enough you had to stay awake for it, but not engaging enough that it let your mind wander. It always felt like active daydreaming to me and I honestly miss the time I used to spend mowing and brush-hogging when I was younger.

Kiltedpadre > jminer 09/05/2020 at 22:59

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That’s one of the things I miss with my current job. My last two workplaces have included nice big well fields that we would mow with tractors. 

Kiltedpadre > Just Jeepin' 09/05/2020 at 23:03

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Crosley even sold a few different mower attachments to be used on the little Farm O Road that you saw.

jminer > Kiltedpadre 09/05/2020 at 23:07

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I haven’t been able to do it in years as I don’t have a large enough property to do it with.

Growing up we had a small farm that we had about 6 acres that needed mowing about half yard and half pasture/fields so I used to spend like 6-8 hours a week mowing between a large craftsman garden tractor on the yard and a Ford 8n for the fields. When I lived in Rolla I had a family friend that needed help mowing so a few times a month I’d do his large yard (1.5 acres probably) on a large sears garden tractor and it really was peaceful.

The last 10 years I’ve just had a half acre to mow and do it with a push mower which requires both too much concentration and physical exertion to allow me that peace while mowing.

onlytwowheels > Kiltedpadre 09/05/2020 at 23:11

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Pretty much all my meditation is while driving/riding something.

Chariotoflove > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 00:30

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Sweet tractor and sweet afternoon. I think people who make fun of farmers and call farm life dull are missing out.

You know, it may not be quite close enough to commute, but it’s close enough for a weekend retreat. And who knows, eventually could be a work from home solution as life progresses. Maybe a life goal to work toward?  Just a thought.

jeepoftheseus > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 07:46

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I very much agree on the mowing and meditation.

Very satisfying. 

Fuckkinja > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 09:56

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We couldn’t take the city anymore. The poor farmer life is great. I’ve put 90 hrs on the new tractor since April.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 09:59

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That tractor is a beauty.

Kiltedpadre > Chariotoflove 09/06/2020 at 13:21

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There’s an ever so small glimmer of hope. My wife is an accountant at a hospital that is about 20 minutes from the farm, and her boss is slated to retire in 3-5 years. Assuming she does, and my wife takes over the position the raise would be significant enough to make it possible.

I have the good fortune of being in a very high demand field and could probably have a job closer to the farm lined up in a matter of weeks if it became a possibility. The only reason I can’t do it now is I am with a private company that pays better than the industry average and has excellent benefits. Most positions in the field are public sector where the pay rates and benefits typically lag far behind the private sector.  There are currently 7 positions available that would make the commute 45 min or less; which I’d consider doable. However, the 5 of those that listed salary ranges would’ve meant at least a $7/hr loss and who knows how much more the benefits would cost or what the coverage would be like. Before my wife’s boss retires I’ll be upgrading a certification though which will add a few more job possibilities as well as upping the potential pay.

Kiltedpadre > Fuckkinja 09/06/2020 at 13:24

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My wife actually works in the town closest to the farm. When her boss retires in 3-5 years she’s supposed to take over her position. If that happens I’ll be able to take the financial hit of moving to a job closer to the farm. There are several current openings, but most would mean giving up $7-12/hr and losing really good benefits.

Fuckkinja > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 13:53

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The wage is non existent or $7-$12 here also. It took us a few years of me working on the road to get my construction company busy locally. We still live like we are poor and raise a lot of our own food. Paid the house off before we moved into it was our biggest gain. She was a city girl and now you would never guess. Now with the Covid we won’t even visit the city for any reason. 

Kiltedpadre > Fuckkinja 09/06/2020 at 14:01

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I’m with a private company that operates in a job field normally handled by public sector workers. As a mid-level water treatment plant operator I make more than anything but the largest cities in my state pay even for facility directors.  It’s certainly a nice problem to have, but it makes changing jobs a bit hard to stomach.

Fuckkinja > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 15:34

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Yeah those good jobs do not exist with in a 100 miles of us. I have always been self employed.

The best part is the race all things track around the back 40. 

Chariotoflove > Kiltedpadre 09/06/2020 at 22:03

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That’s a pretty definite glimmer. I’ll light a mental candle for your cause tonight. It’s a worthy one.