OK, I feel better now...

Gus came up to help with the garlic. We made a deal. I have an old Gravely tractor with a bush hog on the front. He wants it, and I don't use it. So, my dear old Gravely tractor that I've had since '64 is in Florida living with Gus. It was "old iron" when I got it. Well, it won't jerk me around anymore, and Gus will mow out some of his trails...hopefully putting a small dent in the tick population, and scaring the bejusus out of the rattle mouth copper tails they have down there.

We did get it running for about 30 seconds, and it quit. First time it's been run for 3 years. So, I started the time honored drill. I rebuilt the carb, then no fire. I took the Magneto apart, cleaned, sanded the points...still no luck. So, Gus took it home not running. He had to go. I told him the points weren't set right, and the plug could need replacing. It knew if it weren't running it would be less likely to make a trip to Florida. Took her years to get over moving to Ga. Burned a piston first spring here, and I had to rebuild the motor. They'll get along fine, those two. i still have the old electric start Gravely with the little red sulky behind it for mowing.

I HATE to work on ancient technology in a hurry up fashion...that's why we're called shade tree mechanics...work on it for a while, in the shade, cuss and discuss, drink a beer or two, go to town as a diversion, come home with some carb cleaner and WD40...sooner or later you'll wear the SOB down and it will run. Gravely tractors don't like to be hurried!  They decide when they go to work.

The whole time I was trying to figure out somewhere he might take it that anyone would have any idea what it is and how to work on it. The days of real machines, and the mechanics who worked on them  have gone the way of steam trains, Dodo birds, etc. There has to be someone in Quincy/Havana that knows what a Gravely is, and may be able to help. I have a feeling I'm gonna' go to Florida and get it running...at some point. Gus and the rest of the Florida crowd usually have a throw down once or twice a year that we go down for.

The garlic is in the shed drying. It looks good. Smaller than I would like, but lots of it. had some huge softball sized Elephant garlic. Cuban Purple looks better than ever, Inchelium Red a little off as far as size. All the others right where they should be. I left the Silverwhite in for a few day, but we got a "rain storm" this afternoon, so I'll have to watch I don't get any mildew on the wrappers. The last of the green garlic going out today, then plowing and planting buckwheat and field peas for the off season.

It'll be dry garlic in two weeks, folks, come get you some... I'll cheat you right! "Oh, the farmer is the man that feeds us all"...unless you get your groceries at the super market, as a woman said to a farmer, "Who needs farmers, I get my groceries at the Wall Mart".

Thanks to Gus and Bob Brown for the help...it made a tough job much easier. It was almost fun this year!

Now to deal with the pig weed in the big garden. Cukes and corn soon, big green 'maters on the vines, sweet tater and watermelon vines crawling...Arish taters bout ready to dig. pulled the last of the beets, about a bushel...them is so good...Ain't summer fun!