RicelandMeadows

                                                      June 6, 2012

      Last night, I took my new mower and powercart out for a test drive. I had used the mower behind the tractor, but last night was the first time for the horses to pull it behind the powercart. They were a little nervous at first, but settled down quickly.

      We went around the field with the sickle bar chattering, the motor on the powercart running and me smiling as big as I could. The whole thing was working great. Hoss was walking right next to the standing hay and we were going fairly straight. I was just mowing pasture to test everything out, but I still wanted it to look right 😮

      After seven or eight rounds, as we turned the corner, the whole mower actually fell apart. I looked back from the driver’s seat and dang near messed my pants. It was making a “way” different noise and was dragging behind at a forty-five degree angle. I told the horses “whoa.” They stopped immediately… just like they are supposed to do. I shut the mower off followed by the engine. I let the horses stand a couple of minutes, then simply got down and unhitched them from the powercart.

      I was/am thankful for broke, quiet horses. Last nights episode could have ended much differently. The whole thing was caused by a jam nut not being tight. It let the main frame of the mower vibrate loose. A sort of turn buckle came unthreaded. There was no damage done  to the well made piece of equipment, even though it was running at a severe angle and simply being dragged like a hunk of junk.

      We will complete the pasture today and hopefully mow some hay. The horses are ready. The mower will be ready, as soon as I double-check the jam nuts and squirt a little grease everywhere. I am ready too, my hands quit shaking  just about bedtime last night 😮

      A year ago, we were mourning the loss of Lucy, our farm’s Border Collie. I still miss our girl. She rests near the garden..still watching the farm.