Back in the early 80's, I had bought a 50 Acre hillside farm in DeKalb County, Tennessee, as an escape to go write songs and get away...
Well, I bought an old John Deeere Tractor and Bush Hog to clean up the hillside of all the brush that had grown up on it. It must have been about a 1949 model tractor, and about an equal age bush hog, which I worked on like a dog for about a month to get them both working. Finally got them ready, I thought, at least in running condition and the power takeoff worked to turn the blades in the bush hog....so, okay. Now, I need to tell you that the hillside on this 50 acres, sloped up to about a 45 degree angle. No problem, I thought, remember I was born and raised in the hills. I got the old tractor started and started cutting down where it was kinda level...yeah, man, this is good. Kept eyeing that hillside...boy, I need to get up there and get it cut. Finally, I had most of the kinda level part cut...and I headed up the hillside. I first tried cutting it going sideways around the slope..and the right rear tire kept coming up and scaring me a little. Thought I would try it from the very top, and head the tractor down the hill, cause then it wouldn't tip. Got up to the very top and turned the tractor and bush hog down the slope....riding the brakes to hold it back....that worked for about 45 seconds...then the brakes gave completely out and I was on a runaway tractor with a whirling blade behind me sounding like an old DC9 airliner. We are talking about at least a half mile down hill slalom...if it had been snowing and I was on skies I could have broke the land speed record. Unfortunately, that is what I did alright, but on an old tractor, whose two close together front wheels were not that good to steer with anyhow. I must have been going 40 or 50 miles an hour, hitting rocks and stumps, hanging on the that old metal seat with everything I had..the bush hog was up in the air, not even touching the ground....
Well, obviously I made it, by the skin of my teeth, when I finally got to the bottom and it rolled to a stop...I just kinda sat there and shuddered for a while...shoot, I hadn't even had time to pray...so, I did it then and thanked the Lord for not killing me. Being chopped up by a bush hog is not a pretty way to go.
So, as I said, at the beginning, storm clouds going through Tennessee like a runaway tractor, water standing everywhere, and me enjoying the sound of the rain, on my tin roof, and waiting for my songwriter friend, Scott Southworth, to come out and share some of his new songs he's been working on.
Life is good in the country, and Gallatin is having their Street Fair today, with all the folks putting up tents and such, and Denise is working the booth for her historic home that she is on the Board Of Directors of, selling bake goods that all the members made to raise money for the project. I 'spect there is not a whole lot of traffic at the street fair today in this rain.
Y'all have a good one, with the Lord blessing us all and keeping us safe from harm. stan
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