Chapter 4 - Sharing the Road

It's time to work the fields again. Between the spring showers and driving rain - field work also means for us, and many other farmers, driving the state and county highways.

My job, the last couple days has been driving shotgun, so to speak, driving with my flashers going as one of the boys takes the big John Deere as fast she can go down the road.

35 mph is pretty fast for a tractor, but when most of the motorists want to be pushing 60 or 65 in the 55 zones, it makes for some interesting trips.

I bet some of my friends driving tractor trailers cross-country think the same thing: "Don't these motorists get that we could crush them like a bug?"

On our trip from a rented field back to the home place yesterday I was trailing the tractor as we approached the intersection where we turn left to get home.

While the car behind me didn't know the color of our house or barn... he should have noticed the cross road and defensively assumed this gigantic tractor weighing a couple of tons might decide to turn left.  

Fortunately, my boy doubled checked the side mirrors hanging off the front of the cab and hit the brake so the little blue car could zoom past on his way for a morning latte.

Me?  I wasn't quite that calm driving my car and seeing the fatal accident that was avoided because one of the vehicles was paying attention.  "Really?"  I shouted at the disappearing blue car, "really?  You couldn't wait another 2 and a half minutes before you pegged your speedometer again?  You should be giving thanks you'll get home tonight."

None of us like driving our tractors down the highway for very long, but if you like to eat - maybe you could just slow down for a couple of minutes - we won't be on the road any longer than we absolutely have to be.

By the time we made it back home - Scotty was pulling the tractor into the pole shed as I parked under the tree that just starting to show some green buds at the end of its branches.  He shut down the tractor for the night and checked the wires and mechanisms so he could do the same drill again today.

There's a lot of things that make farming great - the smell of newly turned dirt in the spring; cows coming in for milking; and the golden grain at harvest.

And, there's a fair number of things that drive farmers crazy - unpredictable weather; rising fuel prices while commodity prices tank; and dealing with the the risks that make this job one of the most dangerous for all of us living on the family farm.

So, if you could slow down and let us get out of your way... or at least make sure you have a long stretch of straight road before passing - we sure will appreciate it.

It's another thing about becoming the ol' farmer around this place that worries me a whole lot more than it did years ago.

But, there's still nothing I'd rather do than watch the passing seasons from the fence line and the back seat of my tractor. Come to think about it, I think next week I can get Jean fired up again and maybe get the back forty seeded if the weather works out and the rest of the chores stay on schedule and things don't break down.

We complain, sure, but we love it out here.

Life on the Farm, click here for more chapters.