(Here Nathaniel leads the Deere tracking expedition. The group has spotted the elusive 2440 with its winter coat. 60hp makes for great sleigh rides. Dad, can I bring it home?)
It is so nice to have Deere in the orchard. My favorite season is fall when the Deere pull trailers full of overflowing apple crates. Hopefully Nathaniel will cherish his toddlerhood memories.
When I was his age, I had a pedal tractor. My dad gave me a trailer for it. Soon after, I was in the hauling business.
I hauled everything everywhere. The older and stronger I got, the harder I could pedal and the heavier I could haul.
I hauled buckets of water to fill my frog pond. I hauled dirt to build mypitcher's mound. Finally, one day, when I was hauling building supplies to my fort, the tractor broke. The rear axle snapped in half.
Well I had a problem. A loaded up trailer and a busted down tractor.
I thought the tractor was forever broken, wood rotting in a rusting trailer. No fort.
I cried until my dad came home. He quickly assessed the situation. He picked me up with one hand, picked up the tractor parts with the other, and walked us to the garage. He calmly explained the situation to me.
Its OK, little buddy, we can fix this.
With that, he strapped welding goggles on me, handed me the striker, and asked me to light up the welding torch.
He fixed the tractor, the trailer was rescued, the wood delivered and the fort built.
It seems each day I find another life lesson hidden in that memory.
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