February 5, 2010
A threateningly cloudy day.
9am: Seeing that it's projected to rain tomorrow, the vegetable beds have to be completed today. This includes beds for tomatoes, bottle gourds and bitter gourds on an area totaling approximately 6-7 acres.
This morning, on arrival, as the tractor and the attached ridger was brought out, the first complication arose: the bolts on the ridger wings could not be opened. Hastily bought a screw wrench, but no luck. Then took the tractor and ridger to the tractor repair shop which was thankfully open on a Sunday. Seemed like it was all set to go when on arrival at the farm, the tractor started making gurgling noises and the hyrdraulics lift refused to function.
Got in the car and drove to the mechanics shop. The mechanic sent an apprentice to check if he could make a quick fix of my tractor but after opening a few bolts, it turned out that he needed to open the entire seat region to repair. As the tractor is under warranty, that would be a risky move in case the apprentice screws things up.
While the apprentice was playing with the machine, I called up cousin who offered his dead-beat tractor.
12 noon: Just got the dead-beat tractor and installing it with the ridger.
1pm: It will take 1 hour per acre to make the beds. There is another issue of street dogs running around and snuggling on the prepared land. Once the beds are ready, they will end up upsetting them. Have asking one of the workers to stand guard with stones and sticks to ward them off. Unlikely to be a permanent remedy, but it'll have to be done.
