It's been one of those spinning your wheels kind of weeks. I knew starting out it would be a short one, because this is reunion week. We have a big family reunion every year. A multi-day travel some distance reunion. We hold it on the farm my Great-Grandfather's lived on near Mt Vernon, Illinois.
Yes, I know we are unusual.
Getting together for several days with folks you sometimes barely know is sometimes interesting. And because of it I knew this week we would be pushed to accomplish much. Monday we caught up with some road mowing. We've gotten behind on that a bit for several reasons. The big one has been temperature. In an air conditioned cab it is really kind of enjoyable. But the blacktop roads have been so hot we felt it was had on the road surface driving tractors around if the need really wasn't urgent.
Monday we got a chance to catch up a little. Aman mowed the roads on the Prust ground west of Mill Creek. I mowed the lanes east of Mill Creek and Wilderness road and along the highway and around the Sycamore field with the Allis. Well, until I broke something. I don't think I have run the Allis and old Bush Hog a full afternoon for years that I didn't break something on it. Tuesday evening I used the M and the sickle bar to touch up a few places across from the Silver Moon
Tuesday we had some other things to do, changing oil in irrigation engines, things like that. I had cell phone problems, so I had to go to the phone store. Since I was going to Casey anyway I decided to look at trading my Mule ...
No, not a floppy eared 4 legged animal. My 2011 Kawasaki Mule XC610
It is a great tool. We really tried it out last Saturday going back to an irrigator pivot after a 4" rain. I do not think I could have walked to it. We just turned on the front wheels and drove through the mud and water with no problem. But it is slow. 23 MPH top speed. Working on irrigators a little more speed would be nice. The John Deere dealer had traded for a 2009 Kawasaki Teryx. It looks like this only it was blue
Twice the engine mine has, fuel injection instead of a carburetor, bucket seats, fancy wheels, nice ...
When I first started taking to Jerry (the salesman) about it he encouraged me to come drive it. I said "Aww Jerry, I've got a Mule, I've been around 2, 3, and 4 wheelers for over 40 years. I don't need to drive it." He still wanted me to come drive it. Since I was going to Casey to the phone store, and wanted to take the Ford to a car wash anyway, I loaded my Mule and went to Casey.
I now know why Jerry wanted me to drive it first. Quoting a magazine review of this thing: "I still cannot believe the ability of these units." It is just a bit scary.
I think if it were just Aman and I driving it would have been OK. But about the first time Sue got in it to do some work in the yard, hit the throttle and it ran off in the pond I'd be in trouble. And Sunday evening after the Church fishing tournament at our pond
I let a couple of my Jr High kids use the Mule to pick up and transport some things. I would not have let them behind the wheel of the Teryx
Another potential difficulty was engine access. I know it has one, I just never saw it. One review says: "Hood does not open without using screwdriver. Access to engine is a pain. Lots of push pins and screws."
So I went and got my phone fixed, washed the truck, and came home.
As for farming, the rest of the week has been pretty much a bust. That's OK, we needed a break. But I have a feeling we'll pay for it next week. My ToDo list is already over a page long.
So my major accomplishment this week was NOT buying a Mule.
Sounds good to me ....
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