I know a bunch of you folks have your gardens in and up, but I have waited except for a patch of spinach.

We have been eating asparagus and rhubarb right along too, but they don’t count because they require so little help from me.

By waiting, I beat the frost we had last week. Last Thursday night I decided to get the garden in. I plowed up the ground with my Ford 8N and plow. Of course, before I could do that, I had to get my tractor running. It has been sick since last October.

I was shopping for an implement dealer to come and get it, but I kept choking at the price of just towing it to and from the shop. One night earlier in the week, I was at the kitchen table when I saw an implement dealer truck go by. I fantasized that I had been out there and flagged the fellow down and he agreed to check out my machine. Ellen just rolled her eyes and said something like, “You have a big boat anchor up there in the shed now. You just have to get it fixed.”

Painfully, I resolved to call someone the next morning.

Early the next morning when Scout and I were out on our walk, here comes the implement truck! I flagged the guy down and introduced myself. Turns out he’s a neighbor from up on the ridge and I taught his stepkids and he’d be glad to stop that night to take a look!

To make a long story short, he did and after checking all of the front end electronics, he determined that it was a simple fix: a defective ignition switch. Who says there are no happy endings?!

I put in a new switch the next afternoon and got going on the garden. Thanks, Tom.

After plowing, I got out my tiller then and started crisscrossing the deep channels cut in the nice black dirt by the plow. I was about a third done when I ran one of the tires right off the rim.

I pumped it up and tried again. After it went flat, I pumped it up and checked it in Scout’s pool. There was a tiny hole leaking tiny bubbles in the side of the tire. So, the plan was to fix it with an inner tube. I did manage to plant my tomato plants and rake some the area smooth.

In addition to planting my regular stuff, I plan on putting two tomatoes in an Upsy Downsy hanging tomato planter this weekend. It only cost $8 at TSC and it looks like a fun experiment. Ron Von Glahn, De Soto’s Ag teacher, says be prepared to water often and in goodly amounts.

Another thing I want to try is planting potatoes in a plastic garbage can. Why? Well for one it is easier to dig the potatoes and for another it should take up less space.

Until next time, get out...

I am going to get that garden in this week... or not.

Enjoy.