The View from the Tractor

I am neither as organized nor as informative as my lovely wife, but shall endeavor to offer a bit of my thoughts on our grand experiment….

Do you have an inkling, a modest comprehension, a well-informed opinion or a post doctorate level of knowledge on exactly how much grass is incorporated into 11 acres or so?

Neither did I.

It is a veritable sea of grass, not in any sort of post-Victorian poetic way, but in a tick infested, pollen hurling and downright vindictive way. I could actually sit and watch this grass grow.  It grows almost with malice, with a total disregard for my great plans to cultivate it and harness it - it grows that fast.  Of course when there is finally a time that presents itself to me in which I could mow this nefarious turf… it rains.  5 inches into drought and it rains!!!  Aargh.

Into this fray roars my bad-ass John Deere 2140 compact utility tractor.  Does a blog have sound effects?  If it did we’d need something very triumphant.  Superman perhaps, but not anything too orchestral, nothing John Williams.  It is 24 horsepower of raw green power - I literally swooned when I drove it for the first time.  It cuts grass like crazy and is more than a little fun to drive around.  When the neighbor came over to check it out I geeked out about it.

So problem solved?  Brendan gets a tractor, the grass cowers and all is peaceful in the land?  No.  People who visit the farm need, in a diabolical, neurotic, and somewhat obsessive manner, to tell him how much he needs to mow his grass, or even better how to do it.  This commentary is meant to be helpful, encouraging even - your neophyte farm owner knows this.  But did you really think I didn’t know that if you leave grass clippings on the lawn it might have a deleterious effect on the grass?  Geesh.  Sorry, Dad, I know you mean well.  

In other news I am still able to hoodwink people into thinking I can cook which means I am gainfully employed.  This seems to be a good thing, but I’d rather be taking sustainable agriculture classes down the road.  But since I am about as clueless about farming as I am about string theory I’ll keep making food.  The new pork shoulder is actually pretty good.

The chicks are getting bigger, Leslie finally got stung by a bee (justice), flowers are blooming and I still have to pick up the dog’s poop, so all is right with the world.