Funny, On The Farm....Runaway Rototiller

    It is time to dig out all the gardening tools and tune up the old machinery used to till the soil for another season of gardening. This year, my father-in-law graciously fixed me up an old rototiller to replace my previous disaster that had bit the dust. As I checked out my new toy, I couldn't help but think back to my relationship with my departed rototiller. We were never on the best of terms. We never started out on the right foot. It was a huge rototiller with a mind of it's own. Frequently it lunged forward without warning and sped up with no notice! I have been a farm girl my whole life and have been running heavy equipment for as long as I can remember, but this big red rototiller was determined to get the best of me. It seemed that the harder I would fight, the meaner she would get!

(My "new" rototiller)

    One day, I decided I needed to get some tilling done at the end of our long dusty farm driveway. I had visions of a beautiful flower garden welcoming guests to the farm in grand fashion. There would be beautiful color mingling with the aroma from big gorgeous blooms. I started the red beast and went to work. I was determined to make some serious progress on my dreamy garden project. It was rough going and I was having a bit of trouble keeping up. It bumped and bounced and lept along. Then, it happened. In one sudden jerk, she broke free of my grasp, and hit full speed in a flash! She roared toward the road kicking up soil sky high with me running and tripping trying to get a grasp on her. I felt the terror you get inside when you know things could get bad. A car was coming and my only option was to try to stop this evil machine before it crashed head on into an unsuspecting vehicle! My hair must have been flying wildly about me and I was running through dirt clumps which kept me from standing upright. I felt as if I would topple over at any moment and at full speed. I had torn my pants and dirt colored my blonde hair brown. My shoes were filled to overflowing with garden soil and weeds. My terror increased as the road rushed closer. Inside I was screaming, "NO! NO! PLEASE STOP!!!! PLEASE STOP!!!!" My stomach turned and tied itself into a knot. This was going to be bad! Really bad! All of this drama was crammed into mere seconds, but oh, it seemed to be playing out in slow motion. I clambered up and out of the dirt clods just as she bucked and leaped across the road in front of a stopped car. The man in the car was in full hysterical laughter as I still chased the offender across the road, into the ditch, and towards the woods. My brother-in-law happened to be the driver of the car and was still roaring with laughter at his sister-in-law's near demise! As my nemesis arrived at the woods, I caught up with her just as she began digging at roots, and spinning up leaves. I hit the choke, and cut the power to her escapade. I then stormed off up the long driveway with a dirt smeared scowl, while wisps of laughter danced after me. She had gotten the best of me and our relationship was over!!!
    We reconciled quite some time later, but we were always leery of one another. As I embark on a new relationship this season, I can't help but be a little nervous. What wild path might this new soil tilling beast take me on.......

(One of our gardens that will need tilling this season.)