Thursday, December 18, 2008

Weather, Tractors and Age

Just before I got off work tonight it began to rain. It's 27 degrees outside and raining. Do you know what that portends? ICE!!!!!!! There was Christmas party tonight that I'd organized, but I made about 30 calls quickly and cancelled. I'm home and tucked in with milk & bread (staples).
If the ice builds up, we could lose electricity. I pray that doesn't happen. It'll get very cold, quickly, in my house. When my husband was alive, he would've hooked the tractor to the generator in preparation for the worst. I still have both, but have never mastered my fear of that old tractor. It's truly as old as I am. Just think a tractor that is half a century old. It doesn't have any safety features, either. Also there's a ritual you must go through to get it started. Something like: get the key down from over the door in the shop, turn on the gas, walk around it 3 times clockwise, stand on the ground operating the choke while you push the starter. Well, maybe you don't have to do the walk around thing.
It's so complicated I need to write it down. Anyway, I think I was born with a fear of getting a limb ripped off by the PTO. I just don't mess with the tractor.

Maybe I could get an auto-start standby generator? I suspect that could cost as much as a new tractor.

I guess I'll just call the assisted living center and put my name on the waiting list. I must be ready to have someone take care of me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary, I enjoyed your post so much. Your description of cranking the old tractor reminds me of a car we once had! Here in GA it was in the 70's today. I actually had the door open for most of the afternoon. I hope you will not lose power and by the way, we laugh about the staples of milk & bread - just what could we make with it anyway???!!!

Anonymous said...

Hope the rain changes to snow or moves on entirely. And I hope your electricity stays on. I don't blame you for not messing with that tractor. Definitely sounds like a "guy thing" that's better left alone by women and kids to me. Of course, we women have our "gal things" men are better off staying clear of as well. All that being said, my dad always let me do anything the boys did, and I'm glad he did! Keep warm and safe.

Anonymous said...

To answer Mildred's question "just what could we make with milk and bread," my answer would be old-fashioned "milk toast." Toast the bread, spread with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Meanwhile, heat some milk and pour it over the cinnamon toast. I realize this isn't everyone's favorite dish, but my mom often made it when I was a kid, both when we were sick and as a treat, and I still love it.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I hope your electricity stays on. Losing electricity is the pits! We have mainly underground wires. We also have a gas fireplace as back up heat so we would not freeze to death!
I hear you with the generator, I might be able to get ours started..big ? on the might. Do you have one in your RV? That would be a place to hunker down if it had one! :)

Renna said...

Assisted living, huh? You crack me up! ;-Þ