32 years on the Farm

   Well, it got a little hot today. Not to sound like an old guy, but this week marked the thirty second anniversary of our moving here. My first summer I spent on the back of a D-8 Cat and it was 100F plus every day for the first three weeks of June. This poor little Southern California boy was wondering what he had gotten himself into. [He still does, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.]

   The cotton has dried down after our first irrigation and it looks pretty good. There are some bugs moving in. I hate to spray this early. Spraying would hurt the beneficial insects too. We like the beneficials, they are the good bugs that eat the bad bugs. But, we can't let the bad bugs have the crop either. I'll sweep the fields again on Monday then decide what to do.
   I think the cotton is about two weeks ahead of normal. I'll know better when we have first bloom. We normally have bloom around the 4th of July. We'll see if it comes earlier this year.

In honor of that first summer here's a piece I  recorded this week for the radio.

The Loneliness of the Tractor Driver, Isn’t All That Bad

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

               There was an old book about the loneliness of the long distance runner. There is a parallel in farming- the loneliness of the tractor driver. At least that used to be true. My first summer up here I spent on the back of a D-8 Caterpillar- no air conditioning, no radio, no cell phone- I just spent a lot of time with my self, out in the field. And there is nothing wrong with that. It was kind of cool. I had just graduated college and it gave me a lot of time to process things. I don’t know about you but being in school can be a lot like drinking from a fire hose because I am a slow learner. The air conditioner is a lot more comfortable, a radio can be entertaining, and today we have cell phones so we can stay in touch with everyone.

            But, there is something to be said for those long days sitting on the tractor just thinking. Of course, there is that old saying, “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just thinks.” Life these days can get kinda busy. Sometimes sitting on a tractor working a field is a good way to spend a day and get a chance to unwind things. 

I hope you all have a great week!

P