Tough week.

Pepa likes to sit on his throne and direct. I may cut a leg or two off of his chair where he has to hold on just to sit in it.

As I have noted earlier, with the genetic advances in plant breeding, farming has taken on a whole new light. Very little tilling. This is probably the biggest adjustment for an old school farmer. I guess it means you battle the weeds and insects with your brain not your brawn. For several weeks Pepa has wanted to "drag through it" (meaning to plow it).

Toward the end of last week, I began.

It is not pressing, so my intentions from the start were to run only one tractor. However last week Pepa blew a gasket wanting another cultivator put on. My question to him was simple, "Who is going to run it?"

"You let me worry about that:, he replied.

Needless to say, the tractor sat. Until Tuesday. I had moved to another farm and required a ride back to my pickup, so Pepa came to pick me up.

He began talking immediately, "After lunch we will move that other cultivator up here, and we will get across this and knock it out!" (Meaning we would complete the plowing quickly).

Once again I voiced my concern, "Who is going to run it?"

He pointed to himself.

I asked, "How are you going to get your fat asthma up and in in the tractor?"

He assured me, "I can get in the tractor".

(Right, and pigs can fly).

After lunch he asked Memama to go to the barn with us to bring his pickup back. Three hours later he was on the tractor headed to section, I was in my pickup headed there as well, and Memama was on her way back to their house.

I was worn out. I can't stand much of this kind of help.

Getting Pepa in the tractor was an act of GOD and NASA I think. He would walk up to the step and place one foot on the step and give himself a pep talk. Then walk around trying to "loosen" up. Right foot. Left foot. Walk around. Return to step. Finally he told me "I need a little boost".

I told him, "My pickup is right here, let me get my booster cables". He didn't care for my humor. (My next line would have been "We should get you a Red Bull, it gives you wings!").

I grabbed the back of his britches and gave him a tug. For some reason I think I was the one doing all the work. Finally we got him on the first step and I was able to get my shoulder under his butt and help him on up.

Of course once he had air conditioning he was totally worthless, pointing and directing even more.

By the time we got him to the field and got the cultivator set, he ran two hours.

Shortly before we quit, Memama called me to check on him and asked me "How long are ya'll going to plow?"

I told her I was going to plow until six something, then make the drive to Abilene.

It was quiet on the phone for a moment when she asked, "You aren't going to leave him out there, are you?"

I couldn't help but laugh. She told me she knows how my mind works, but that she needed to know if she was supposed to pick him up or if I was going to drop him off on my way to Abilene.

I told her I had already been trying to develop a "dismount" strategy for Pepa.

I told her I figured Pepa was going to be worn out after his day at the farm.

When I drove to where he was plowing I got out and opened the door on his tractor. My only instructions were this, "Don't fall on anything sharp!"

On our way from the farm to his house he began telling me, "I have doctor appointments tomorrow. Dentist at 8:30, coumadin clinic, pacemaker check. I can't work unless I cancel my appointments."

At that point he began working on a replacement driver.

I told him if I had known this was on the horizon we would not have wasted a half day.

With the exception of two rounds Jason plowed, Pepa's tractor sat all day. (Dakota had a doctor appointment in Lubbock).

And that irks my butt. I have been playing catch up in the name of speeding up.
I would rather have no help at all, than have help that is not regular and dependable.

I should come off the section today. Then one more farm and then probably back on the sprayer.

Let me qualify my projection. That is if I have no help. If I have help it will be next week.

And that screws up my plans for the weekend and next week.

Regroup.

Have a day.

FATHER, rescue me.