Some days are stone. Remember that John Denver song? Well seems that one ought to be my theme song as it sure does ring true more often than not.
Sunday the Zetor tractor decided to take a short vacation. So nothing to do but get the old JohnDeere A fired up and going with it's old loader.
First thing the A had a flat on the front, no problem air it up . Opened the fuel tank valve drained opened the pitcok on the bottom of the carberuator and got clean gas running thru , hit the starter and presto good ol John E Popper is off and running .
Off to the shop we go to get the loaders oil tank filled. Well ok so some of the seals have dried and are leaking they'll get livened up shortly. Hmmm not enough oil to fill the tank, quick call to a neighbor and they've got a bucket full . Get back and the front tire is flat again, no biggy the air hose will reach.
Ok have the tire aired up, all the loader cylinders are moving. Lets go put the bale fork on so the cows can get a bale of hay today. Almost to the fork and poof, broken hose off the pump. Good thing we got the neighbors extra oil. Have a hose that'll fit , off to the forks again. Amost there, pow splat, broke the other hose. Grrrrr. Well after some srounging found a hose that'll work top the oil tank , get the forks on. That cylinder is working the forks just fine.
Get to the hay stack spear a bale and what the .....? That @##$%^! front fork won't lift the bale, must be an air lock . Back to the shop bleed the lines, tire is flat again fork still not working.
Look at the watch it's 6:30, bucket calf thinks he's terribly abused. Getting dark and chilling off , not in a good mood time to go eat some supper and ponder the situation.
Alright during the night I've got the plan. Use the chain hoist to manual control the fork.
Sure hope Brown Co calls this morning and says the Zetor parts are in.........
That's the view from the control tower this morning.
Sincerely yours
Ranch 13
Chief Ranch Sanitation Engineer
Dead Cow Unit, Gone Broke Cattle Co.
Hells Gap, Wy.
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A quick update, the chain hoist worked, have hay loaded and we're ready to feed agian. Sure hope those parts get here soon.......
ReplyDeleteDon
ReplyDeleteSpring is late up here too in NW Montana, cant keep the mud down in the horse paddock been doing PM for thrush. Been fixin fence on the boss's lease getting ready for cow turn out in june found some wolf sign guess Ill have to spend a few nights out on the range. Been waiting for tractor parts myself guess their coming by dogsled via the npole. Deleivered some bulls 2 weeks ago over to Del Bonita on the blackfoot res day after I left it dropped 40" of snow a few ranchers lost some calves,the cross you have to bear as a stockman I guess. danny
Just another day on the ranch. if nothing was going wrong then it wouldn't be ranchin'. Our problem lately hasn't been tractors it's been solar pumps. The last couple months they have taken to quitting as soon as cattle get put onto the tanks they feed.
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