Heaven

I went out to my little slice of heaven this afternoon, the family land seven miles from my house.  Various obligations and self-imposed tasks had conspired to keep me away from there for the last couple of months and it was sorely in need of some bush-hogging.

Bush-hogging, also known as shredding, or mowing in other parts of the country involve a tractor and a mower.  Something like this.

It's not a finish mower, it's for rough work, and I knew that various saplings, vines and other impediments had sprung up in the meadows on the rear of the property.   I needed to cut those down and the tractor was just the implement.  I knew it needed a battery, so earlier this week I picked one up.  I got to the land just before noon, met my brother who was doing other tasks, installed the battery, checked the fluids, and cranked it off.

To a country boy, there is very little that is as satisfying as bush-hogging.  You can see immediately what you've doine and what you need to do.  Very satisfying.  Of course, I was on my father's tractor, a little International 244 that I've driven since the early '80s.  Sitting on that tractor is like operating an old friend, we've spent so many hours together.

About an hour before I finished, it started raining, just a gentle summer shower.  The sun was still shining and the rain drops looked like little jewels falling through the trees.   I watched the rain fall as I steered the tractor, finishing the little patch I had started.  By the time I got to the barn, the rain had stopped so I brushed the limbs, leaves and twigs off the tractor, put it away, then swept the dirt I had tracked into the barn.  Locked everything up and headed home.

I feel like I actually accomplished something today.  The back meadows are mowed, and I can see across the property.  Very satisfying..