Slow Circles

Greg spent last Saturday driving around and around in circles with a variety of machines, methodically flattening the lowlands with a large roller thing-a-ma-jig.  But first he had to get the roller and that was an adventure of its own.  The roller was parked at a friend's near by in some swampy wet land.  So that meant the day started with Greg driving Big Red down the road about four kilometres to winch the roller out of the swamp and pull it home.  He said he got some pretty interesting looks from passing motorists when he was on his way home with the roller hitched behind Big Red, rolling down the road!

After getting the rolling done, he borrowed another  neighbour's tractor and hooked a seed spreader on it before driving around in more circles.  Yes, the seed spreader was borrowed too and we are thankful for all these generous friends who are willing to share their stuff.  Maybe I should have called this post "Borrowed".  Anyway, after what seemed like more endless circles and slow driving back and forth the seed was on the ground and the tractor was returned to the neighbour.

Then Big Red got to come out to play again with the roller attached to press the seed into the soft dirt so it wouldn't all blow away at the first whiff of wind.  I just don't quite understand why Greg wasn't dizzy by the time the day was over because all that driving in circles took nearly the entire day.  He was really dirty but not dizzy!  In fact he was so dirty that even after a shower he managed to rub residual dirt off with the white towel he dried himself with.  Note to self, people in the country probably don't have white towels.  But he was happy and that's all that counts.

Saturday ended with another four kilometre trip to return the roller, and more stares from puzzled passers-by.  It helps immensely to have a good sense of humour, because although the passers-by think you look like you've lost your mind, they look even funnier staring with mouths agape!

Sunday and Monday the winds blew and I worried that all his careful labour was in vain.  It was my worrying that was actually in vain, as later in the week the rain came and by Friday we could see hints of new green sprouting across the lowlands.

I'm grateful for all the seeding excitement because the satellite TV has not been really reliable lately and so there is little other entertainment on the swake, apart from Kanti and the animals.  The TV worked great in the trailer for eight months and it also worked in the house for the first four months, then we had the service people come and permanently install the dish.  Since then we have had three repair visits to try and figure out why it works sometimes and not others.  The last repair guy came this week and actually told us that if it kept giving us trouble we should go with a different carrier, apparently he's all out of ideas on what's wrong and how to fix it.  "Telus" has become a swear word on the swake.  There's something about the way Greg spits it out with a great deal of frustration that is a bit amusing.  This is amplified on Sunday afternoon when the TV mysteriously does not work during a major golf event.

Kanti has had to sit safely on the sidelines this week with all the machinery traveling back and forth across the lowlands.  She has a penchant for running along beside Big Red which is okay except when there is a several hundred pound roller behind it that she could get tangled up with.  So, we discovered that we could put one of her toys inside the other and keep her fascinated for a few minutes.  But the grass is growing already so it won't be long and next job is to fence a good sized area for Kanti. Slowly but surely the jobs will get done around here.  Then we can sit on the deck, looking out over the swake and enjoy it all.