As I was doing some farm work today, I got to thinking about the word necessity. What does it mean? To me it means to perform a task that you may not like, or think that you can’t do, but you do it anyway, because there’s no other way, there’s nobody else around. It’s unavoidable at the moment, and you have to do it.
I’ve got a 14-acre farm with lots of horses, a few cows, goats, dogs, cats, and a macaw (that I’ve had for almost 30 years). There are a lot of tasks to be done daily, but also weekly tasks. My daughter and I are the only ones on the place, and she’s off at college during the week. I also have a full-time job as a registered nurse, working 4-5 days weekly. My plate is pretty full.
I’ve never had anyone to help me with my place except my daughter. Occasionally the man I’m dating helps out with heavy things, but usually it’s just me. I do all the mowing, 3 acres with my zero turn, and the rest with a bush hog behind my tractor. My place doesn’t have enough grass/pasture growing so I supplement with round bales all year around. They weigh 1200-1500# and have to be moved with a tractor and I put out 4 bales weekly. There’s a pond on the back of the property, but the horses usually drink from 4, 100 – 150-gallon troughs that have to be scrubbed out weekly, so they have to be tipped over at least half full. There’s a lot of manual labor to be done.
On Saturday, I was mowing with the zero turn and noticed my front tire going flat. I quickly moved it across the street and back into the garage, hoping the tire wouldn’t come completely off the rim. I tried to air it up, but the seal was broken. I realized it need to be jacked up to take the pressure off the tire. Pulling the floor jack across the garage, dodging other things in the way, I was not wanting to do this. Storms were due this week and the yard really needed to be mowed because it wouldn’t start earlier in the week (I fixed that earlier the same day). The tire still wouldn’t air up, so I removed the front tire completely, placed it at an angle, and it sealed along the rim. I put the tire back on, while lifting the jack several times, it kept trying to fall. For good measure, put a bit of air in the other front tire because it felt soft. The front tires are tubeless, it was frustrating that I had to do it, but I was able. I’m not a mechanic by any means, but when I need to get something done, I persevere.
Often in life, we’re faced with things of necessity and sometimes we think we can’t get it done. I’m here to say, being a 56 yr. old woman, with joint issues, no other real health problems. If I can get things done, so can anyone else. Sometimes it’s just mind over matter. I often think about how nice it would be to have a partner to share these responsibilities with, someone who appreciates the joy this place brings. I have to remember to play the cards I’ve been dealt. I work hard so I can play hard. Never let anybody tell you, there’s something you can’t do, because if you have to you can!