Tractors and Tires

Yesterday, the temperature went up to the low forties, so the lovely snow that we had last week all melted away. It was pretty while it lasted, and a good view of what is to come. And since Greg still had to finish some mowing on ski trails, it was helpful to have bare ground again.

When he went out a week ago to do his part of the trail system, he was only able to get halfway through. Then a tire blew out on the tractor, and that was it for that day. He hitchhiked back to his truck, and ordered a new tire. We picked it up in Duluth last week, and today he and Paul went to the trail to change it. I joined them to assist with transportation, and to take a few photos. It was a sunny day, and with our blaze orange, it was a colorful autumn scene.

When the tire first blew, Greg was several feet back from where he stopped. He wanted to position the tractor so that he would be able to make use of a nearby pine tree when it was time to change the tire. He was able to drive forward just a bit. The tractor was on a slight incline, so he knew that he would need a chain and come-along to stabalize it. With Paul on the come-along, and Greg on the jack, they were able to get it to this point.

And if you look closely, you can see that the new tire is in place. I'm not sure that I was of much help, but I did contribute to the colors of the day. Greg was then ready to finish the mowing job, though not without a few more pitfalls. On the Powerline trail, a leftover piece of electrical cable got snagged and wound itself around the mower. Not as easy to remove as it is for me when a piece of fishing line gets wrapped around the vacuum cleaner, but the same idea. A few odds and ends broke or came loose as he mowed along, but fortunately, he had the right equipment and parts to fix them. Lots of trees to saw out of the way also. A busy time on the trails, and certainly a reinforcement of the fact that Greg is glad that he is not a farmer.