Skip to main content

Adventures on a Deere


Yesterday, I jumped on my newly repaired tractor, revved it up and proceeded out to the back 40 (OK, the back 4) to mow down more of the head high, gnarly grass overwhelming the property. I was cruising along nicely, making good progress, inch by inch, foot by foot, when --- whoa! I put it in reverse and nothing happened. The back wheels were spinning in the mud. No problem, I surmised. I'd had this happen before. Just lock the back hubs and power out. I tried it. The machine wouldn't budge. So I slammed the Deere into full four wheel drive. Still no go. Hmmmmm.... The front wheels were spinning too, but they did not seem to actually be touching anything. Turns out I had run them over a ledge, hidden well by vegetation, below which was a hole at least three feet deep. I tried a trick the tractor dude had taught us, whereby one lowers the loader to the ground and beyond, using it to lift the front wheels off the ground. When dropped all the way, the loader touched nothing. In fact, there was still at least a foot of air below it. My only recourse was to tow it out. I went to the hardware store and bought a chain adequate for pulling several thousand pounds and two bad-ass hooks, one for each end. I drove the SUV out to the site, hooked everything up and gave it a firm but gentle tug. As I looked in the rear view mirror, I saw the tractor budge, then roll. "Yay!" I said out loud to nobody. That elation quickly turned to dread when I realized that the Deere was on a slight slope, angled downward toward the SUV. I went from "yay" to "oh shit" as I saw the tractor, in neutral of course, keep on rolling toward the rear end of the Trooper. There was nothing I could do but sit there helplessly and wait for the impact. Bang! Luckily, the slope was gentle and the tractor rolled pretty slowly. The only damage was a nice scratch on the spare tire cover at the very back of the SUV. The tractor sustained no injury at all. After it was pulled from the hole, Lucy decided the Deere must be sitting out there for her amusement. She had a great time climbing all around. Here she is, sitting on top of the tiller (above).
I watched the annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards Wednesday night. They can best be described as the Hawaiian Grammies, although the real Grammies now have a Hawaiian music category. The Na Hokus recognize the best in music from the Islands. Watching the show renewed my appreciation for the music here. They often choose cheesy-but-popular over good when it comes to airplay. But there are plenty of talented artists around, making beautiful music in both Hawaiian, English and instrumental. Three of my favorites were big winners. Nathan Aweau won as both a solo artist and member of Hapa. His voice is simply beautiful and he plays a mean bass guitar. With Hapa and Barry Flanagan, the harmonies and strings are no ka oi as they say here. Da bes'. Jack Johnson, who has won national acclaim, took home a couple of awards too. Jack's awesome.
Last night I was blown away by the National Spelling Bee. Did you see it! Unbelievable! I couldn't spell half of those words. I was surprised to see that two of the words were of Hawaiian origin. I could spell those. Those kids renewed my faith in the youth of today. Those were some smart puppies with great, competitive spirit.
Earlier in the week, I scored some cheap lumber to build a raised vegetable box. My theory is that, although it rains a lot here, if I can encourage good drainage by raising everything up I can grow something besides fruit. I picked up some discarded siding boards from Home Depot's junk bin at 50 cents each. I built the box today. It's not perfect, but it's functional. Now I have to get some compost, soil, manure and sand to fill it up. The place I plan to put it is currently occupied by a big, dark toad. He was hiding under a piece of plywood that was laying there. I lifted the board and there he was. I tried to shoo him away, but he wasn't in the mood. I decided to wait and let him move on his own. Now that I've rousted him from his daytime hiding place, he will likely find the bright light and sun beating down on him a little too much to bear.
Yesterday, not long after the tractor fiasco, we (the dogs and I) saw an 'io, or Hawaiian hawk, soar overhead. It was spectacular, especially considering that the 'io, like many birds in Hawaii, is endangered. It's endemic to Hawaii and I think, to Hawaii Island.
As I type this, Crawford is lying next to my chair. I just looked down. She is fast asleep, having one of those rabbit-chasing puppy dreams. Her paws are wiggling like crazy. I think she's gonna catch him! That scwewy wabbit!
Until next time, aloha!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Born and bred

The creature stared at me, wide-eyed through the florescent glare, Saran Wrap stretched tight across its broad back. Alone in the seafood cooler, he was the only one of his kind, there among the farmed, color-added Atlantic salmon and mud-flavored tilapia, perched on a blue foam tray, legs tucked 'round him like a comfy kitten. He didn't blink. He was dead, red, cooked and chilled, ready to eat. Such a find is rare in the City Market fish department in Gunnison, Colorado. What if nobody takes him home? I thought. This beautiful animal will have died needlessly, ripped from his home, family and friends (Dory, Nemo, Crush and Gill?) only to be tossed in the trash when his expiration date came and went. I lifted him for closer inspection, checked that date, felt the heft of him, scanned his surface for cracks and blemishes. The creature was perfect. I lowered him back into the cooler, nodded farewell, turned to walk away, took one step, and stopped. Shoppers strolled past, stud
4 comments
Read more

Fruity booty

It was a long drive from Glenwood to the northern tip of the island -- three hours -- so for sustenance, we stopped at Baker Tom's for malasadas on the way. My pal Kathy and I were headed to Kapa'au for a hike, one we'd read about in the local newspaper. The couple who run Baker Tom's (not sure if the husband is actually Tom or not) are delightful, with enduring stamina. They're as old as radio, yet they're always on duty, ready to serve behind the counter, as they have for many years, frying, baking, brewing and smiling, there in Papaikou , gateway to the Hamakua Coast. The malasadas are enormous, cheap and delicious, the coffee OK, the tourists all happy to have discovered this place, buzzing with sugar and caffeine. They make a killer pumpkin cheesecake at Baker Tom's, too. It's always a pleasant stop. Ahapua'a . It's a Hawaiian land division, usually a strip or wedge, stretching from mountain to sea. Hawaiians lived in villages wit
3 comments
Read more

On Tennis and Writing and Being Too Nice

I've recently been recruited to play tennis for a local 4.0 ladies tennis league team, referred to as either "Team Debbie" for the nice woman who manages us, or "Have Fun," which is our pre-match chant. We're still looking for a proper name. But we do have fun, despite getting creamed most outings. Last Saturday, we played in the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium in Hilo. Good thing, too, since outside it was pouring, complete with thunder and lightning. It's a substantial structure, covered, yet open all around, most famous for hosting the annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in April. It was about 85 degrees outside and 100 percent humidity, air so thick it took three sucks of my albuterol inhaler just to breath. Several of us arrived early to warm up, but after twenty minutes' steady rallying with my teammate, Keiko, the human backboard, I was drenched. I played doubles with a nice, extremely fit and excellent ground-stroker named Cynthia from Pahoa.
4 comments
Read more