Mark's New Job

So on the weekend, when Emmy Lou got out, Willie the Farmer lent Chani and Captain D. his cow trailer to transport her home in. As a thank-you, Captain D. and Mark went out with Willie that afternoon and helped him to hay. Willie the Farmer is (of course) a farmer, and he is ALWAYS on the go. I see him puttering all around his small community in his tractor or his beat up farm pickup, doing outdoorsy farm things with a smile shining out from under his wild mountain-man beard. He's kind of a hoot.

In all, the boys spent a few hours hauling bales of hay off the field and onto Willie the Farmer's truck with him. When they were done, some country haggling went on. Willie the Farmer was grateful for the help and wanted to pay Mark.

Mark said no.

Willie the Farmer insisted.

Captain D. told Mark to just ask for ten bucks and be done with it, so he did. Willie the Farmer made a face at this amount and gave him twenty instead, and told him how hard it was to find anyone who was actually willing to work.

Mark had fun haying and slept well that night. He had done something productive, even if it wasn't one of the many projects we have around our house that need doing. There's a lot to get done around here, and the list is growing all the time. In particular, I'm a bit discouraged by the lack of progress we've made in our grand plan to fence in our yard. I had such visions of the dogs running and playing in perfect safety right in our own back yard, but it just hasn't happened yet. We've priced materials and made a general plan, but the kicker is digging the post holes. This is going to be a loooong fence. Lots of big holes. Can't realistically do it by hand.

Ah well. I mentioned it to Nay at work a few days later, and she quietly suggested that we give Willie the Farmer a call. After all, he owns a backhoe.

Well how 'bout that? It was a good thought, but as it turns out we didn't have to call Willie - he called here tonight to ask Mark if he felt like haying. Mark said he had plans but would be up for it next time. He asked Willie the Farmer about helping us with our fence, and ladies and gentlemen, we have a backhoe at our disposal.

Things have a circular way of getting done out here in the country.