Our First Garden

In April when we were at the land, Chuck went off to "rent" a tractor for the day like we have been doing for the past nine years. It only takes about an hour to drive to town, rent the tractor and return to the land with it. Well, he was gone for three hours and my daughter, Shell and I got worried about him being gone so long. We were in the middle of painting the front porch of the tacky trailer and I decided I'd walk down to the road to see if Chuck had come back with the tractor. Sure enough...there was a big ass pickem up truck with a trailer on the back and a used John Deere tractor sitting next to it. Chuck didn't rent it....he BOUGHT it!! ..and the man even delivered it to our land. We were such proud owners of this used bright green and yellow tractor. Only in our dreams did we think we could afford a "real John Deere". lol. That trip, we also bought a new red tiller and decided to till and plant a little garden. What fun we had! We planted watermelon, cantaloupe, radishes, three different kinds of squash, gourds, corn, peppers and flowers. When Chuck and I went back up in June, the first thing we did was go check out the garden. The poor thing was covered with vines and weeds. We started right in and uncovered everything that we had planted in April. It was so exciting seeing the little watermelons and squash that were trying to grow under all the weeds. I asked Chuck to teach me how to drive the tractor. OMG! ...and ya think it's hard to drive a "stick shift" car? Get this! the tractor has a clutch, a brake but NO gas pedal. The gas is a gear shift knob...along with a real gear shift that has two sets of gears. THEN....there is a shift to lower the bush hog and another shift to make the bush hog turn. Try and remember all of that!!! and don't run the tractor into the trees. Oh what fun I had. Better than any ride at Disney! I was just "mowing away" and Chuck was afraid that I was going to hit a tree or the cement bench we have down by the garden, with the bush hog. Heck, I wasn't looking behind me where the bush hog was going. lol. I have to say....the tractor turns on a dime. Oh! how I can't wait to be a full time "country girl". Someone "PLEASE" come buy our house in Florida. !!!! Check back in a few days...for another fun adventure that Chuck and I have already had in Alabama.