July 29 - DIY Homestead - Shelley is Tormenting the Fire Pit at 6am

July 29, 2022

Day 221 of the Adventure

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Highlander Grogg (Butterscotch/Rum flavors)

There she is, 6am working the fire pit area.

I'm not entirely sure exactly what it is Shelley is trying to do this morning. She said I was forbidden from starting a fire which doesn't agree with me that well. Something about leveling the fire pit. I assumed she meant the pile of ashes in the actual fire pit and I thought, "I can do that with a rake and just get on with the building of the morning fire". But no, whatever it is, it's much more involved because it seems the tractor will be needed. Although, when it comes to Shelley and her tractor, any task, big or small, can potentially require the use of the tractor. 

Our tractor is a 25hp Kubota diesel. Our neighbor refers to it as our "Toy". Well, of course it is! But it's one of the hardest working toys I've ever owned. We really did consider getting a larger one and believe it or not, cost really wasn't a factor. While comparing features and horsepower, the salesman happened to mention all of the emissions requirements of tractors greater than 25hp. (And all of the additional maintenance, upkeep and, to me, headaches, of caring for the emissions systems) It included things like the addition of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) to the "burning off", or "purging" of the exhaust system, or whatever he was describing as a monthly routine. He rapidly lost me in the process of selling me on the benefits of more work. I looked at Shelley and declared, "I believe that 25hp tractor looks great!" (My take on the economics of purchasing a new tractor vs a used one)

Now, I'm not trying to sell anyone on a Kubota. I've known a lot of people who have owned them and they all say they are a strong little tractor. Perhaps having even more power than their small size would suggest. We chose a 25hp with an added backhoe attachment along with a bush hog, box blade and pallet fork. So far, it has not disappointed us in the least. It has dug two, four-foot deep, 500 foot long trenches through extremely hard ground. Pulled countless stumps from the ground. Dug two entire septic tank pits and all of the lateral lines. Leveled road-beds and building sites all over the property. Hauled firewood and the list just goes on. We've worn the entire first set of teeth completely off the backhoe bucket and had to install new ones. So, 25hp or not, our little toy tractor is a legitimate workhorse and has earned its keep and our respect. 

Well, I think I can now see what Shelley was up to. She levelled the area "around" the fire pit so the chairs would set more evenly. I'm okay with that......... On to the fire and the second cup of coffee!

Carry On!

 Adventure Quote:  “The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

― Christopher McCandless

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