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Posted on Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Mule Trader
Stacey and I went to Columbia to check on the progress on the Kawasaki
Mule repair. We parked the HHR and went inside. As we walked towards the
counter, Stacey and I noticed it looked like our Mule was on the lift in
the repair shop. We walked back to the door of the shop and it was ours.
The mechanic said he just about had it fixed and we should be able to
pick it up later in the day. OK, we went out the door and was about to
leave when the owner asked me if we needed help. I said I might be
interested in trading our Mule for a new one, so she showed me what they
had in inventory. We talked a little about price and then she checked on
how much I was going to owe on our Mule's repair bill. She gave me a
trade in price, we said thanks and headed to Hobby, Dye and Read. They
are the new owners of the New Holland dealership in Columbia. I talked
to them about trading the FarmTrac for another New Holland tractor. Then
Stacey and I went to lunch and back to the farm. Rex's Cycle Shop called
and said our Mule was ready to pickup. When Linda came home, we talked
about trading the Mule and decided to take the trailer to Columbia and
either pickup our old Mule or trade for a new one. We made a deal with
them for a new 2014 Mule, they loaded it on the trailer and we paid the
difference and headed back to the farm. We have a few things to finish
on Thursday, like getting our old metal top put on the new Mule and a
few other small items, but we brought the new Mule home and drove it
around the fields.
Our
dog Daisy balked the first few times we tried to get her to jump into
the pickup bed on the back of the new Mule, but after she finally jumped
in it, she seemed happy. We had been without a Mule for over a month and
she had missed the frequent runs we would take her on when we had it.
Posted on Saturday, October 05, 2013
Pumpkin Festival
We made plans to meet Pauline and Brent with their kids at Edmonton. We
drove the 65 Mustang and left it at the Fair Grounds after entering it
in the car show. Brent and the others picked us up and we rode with them
to the middle of Edmonton, where we parked and walked to the Courthouse
Square for the Pumpkin Festival. It was about the same as years past
with a few food vendors and several craft booths After the girls had
seen whatever it was they wanted to see, we sat on the cement wall in a
shady spot and enjoyed some of the 'fair food'. Hot dogs, corn dogs,
hamburgers, tenderloin sandwiches, fries, we tried several items and of
course, they all tasted pretty good. But you know how that is, 'fair
food' isn't the best food for you, it's just there and about anything
tastes good when you're hungry. After we finished eating Brent dropped
us off at the Fairgrounds and they went on home. We had to wait about an
hour and a half for the car show to be over.
Linda
caught me about half asleep laying on the grass while we waited.
Posted on Sunday, October 13, 2013
Farm Campout
People began arriving around 3:30 Friday afternoon and the last group
pulled in at 1:45 AM Saturday. Several of us stood around a small
campfire and then guided them into their camping spot. About a half hour
after they were parked, we headed to bed. That made Saturday morning's
breakfast come pretty early it seemed, a real short night of sleep. We
had 4 wheelers, a Gator and a Mule for people to ride around the farm,
we also had a hay wagon ride down the road to Salem Park and back. Then
lunch down at the pole barn, a bonfire with hot dogs, marshmallows,
soup, chili, and several other items at dark. We took a shorter hay ride
after dark with the wagon lit up by rope lights. It was a little bit
scary at one point, thanks to Bobby and Brent. lol Sunday morning the
groups started getting ready for their drives home and right before they
began leaving, I set the camera on the back of our Mule and snapped the
picture of everyone attending the 2013 Farm Campout. From left to right
are: Dave Norris, Stacey Norris, Linda Norris, Jeff Huck, Shelly Huck,
Airiana Summers, Trevon Summers, Brent Norris, Kyle Norris, Pauline
Norris, Julie Norris, Graham Bankson, Kiersten Bankson, Christopher
Bankson, Annaliese Bankson, Valerie Bankson, Bob Bankson, Imon Bankson,
Linda Kreigh.
The
dogs are Coco, Winston, Pico, Poco, Daisy and Katy.
We wished
everyone could have stayed longer, several said they felt the same way.
Ya'll
come back!
Posted on Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Rotary Cutter Repair
The weather changed and it was misting rain and cooler, so it seemed
like a good day to repair a broken steel brace on the rotary cutter.
Stacey and I went to the tractor shed in the Mule and I drove the
tractor to the pole barn where the tools were located. I moved the truck
out of the barn and pulled the tractor inside. I took off both braces,
one was busted and the other one was going to have to be cut shorter to
match the broken piece. I laid the two pieces in the truck and we went
to town since I didn't have a drill bit large enough to make the two new
holes. I think it was a 5/8" and the largest bit my drill will hold is a
half inch. I dropped the two pieces off at the welding shop and the guy
told me to pick them up just before lunch, so we went back to the farm.
After we had ate lunch, we drove back to town and the pieces were done.
I paid and put the steel bars in the back of the truck, then drove back
to the farm. Stacey watched and took pictures as I reassembled the two
steel braces on the rotary cutter.
The
repair worked perfectly, which I couldn't believe happened. That's not
the usual way things go when something breaks, but this time it worked
out. I put the tools away and drove the tractor to the equipment shed
with Stacey following in the Mule. We went to the house and went inside
till Linda came home.
Posted on Friday, October 25, 2013
First Frost
Clear skies and cold temperatures equal the first frost of the season. 
Supposed
to get a hard freeze tonight and early Saturday morning.
Posted on Sunday, October 27, 2013
Short Visit
Saturday morning Stacey, Linda and I took Coco in the HHR and went to
visit at Pauline and Brent's house. We took the dog cage so that Coco
wouldn't tear up any rugs or door facings as has happened before. Linda
asked Julie and Kyle to show us their costumes for Halloween since we
wouldn't be able to see them later. They were quick to go to their rooms
and put on their entire outfits. Julie is going as a black cat and Kyle
is going to dress up as a Ninja Turtle.
We
also went to Bowling Green with Brent driving his Traverse. We ate lunch
at the Bowling Green Mall so everyone could get something they liked. We
dropped Pauline off at WKU for her to check on something at work while
Brent and I picked up a gift that will be revealed later this week.
Linda remained at the Mall with Julie, Kyle and Stacey. 
Brent
purchased a video game at Wal-Mart and when we returned to the house,
Kyle and he began playing the game. We stayed until about 5 PM, then
drove back to the farm.
Posted on Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Morning Run
After a light rain, the fog was rising in the 'hollers'
around the farm. Stacey and I decided we would take Daisy for a run.
After letting her out of the barn and the back of the Mule, Daisy wanted
to play in the creek so we stopped and watched her dink around.
When
we pulled out of one hay field and into another, Daisy began tracking
several trails across the field.
She
never did roust anything up, but she had fun running back and forth for
a while as we slowly drove around the field.
Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2013
Birthday Supper
When Linda came home, we loaded into the Malibu and picked Jason up at
his house at 4:30 PM. Then I drove to Campbellsville and stopped at the Creek
Side Restaurant. The parking lot was rather full, but we didn't have
to wait to be seated.
Everyone
did a walk-by to see what was on the buffet before sitting down at the
table. Linda, Stacey and Jason all decided on eating from the buffet, so
I made it unanimous. We each made several trips to the food bar and back
to the table and when everyone was stuffed we decided to call it a night
and head back to the farm to let Stacey open the gifts Jason had brought
for her.
Stacey
thanked Jason, then they watched a few innings of the World Series. Of
course, an argument ensued over which team was going to win, then Jason
busted out a good line using the Cardinals' pitcher's name. It was
"Wacha", pronounced like the Pac Man sound, so Jason started in with
"he's going to walka, walka, walka the other team." We all laughed at
that, but Stacey didn't like it much. lol A little after 8 PM, Stacey
took her pills and then she and I took Jason home so he wouldn't be too
late to take his medicine. Stacey jumped out of the car and told Jason
thanks and gave him a hug, then they said good night.
