I almost made it through the day with no problems. My main activity was to rake the hay to turn the rows over to ensure the bottoms would dry. Since I had to turn over the entire field the problem was how to turn over the hay when the rows go to fence to fence. I started in the middle of the field.
First I raked one row over to another row. Then I raked these two rows back to the first row. Then I raked a third row to these two rows. This made a thick row but it also gave me room to then rake the other rows over to the open space occupied by the previous row. And starting in the middle with its short row made the thickest row a short row.
The hayfield is not quite square I had a row or two more on the ends than the sides. And I didn't pick the exact center row as one side had a few more rows than the other side. But this was not a big problem. When I was done two corners had a few really short rows left to rake. My raking had made new corners which didn't quite square with the old corners so that is why two corners had a short amount of old corner rows left to turn over. I used a hay fork to flip the hay over and then on top of the last raked row.
It took me 4 1/2 hours to rake the field and a little longer to use the hay fork.
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So the raking went well. The move of the irrigation pipes went well. While I was raking Mama and cow #60 walked the river and crossed over from the middle to the south pasture. The other cattle didn't notice initially, but when they did they stood at the gate and mooed at Mama and #60. I let them be and continued raking. When Mama's and #60's udders were full they would want to be back to their calves. Sure enough when I went out to move irrigation pipes at 7 pm both cows were standing at the gate eager to go through and be reunited with their calves.
So that wasn't my problem. It was with my tractor. The fuel gage sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. In the past it would always work once the fuel got down to a little less than a quarter tank of diesel. On this tank of fuel I had cut Donna's field, John's field and my field. I also had raked and baled John's field. Today as I raked my field I watched the fuel gage closely. Any time now...
But I finished raking and the gage was still at Full. I like to drive to the local gas station off hours when there is less traffic. Usually that means after 7 pm. After I moved the irrigation pipes I drove to the gas station two miles down the road. I watched the fuel gage and held my breath. Donna said to never run out of diesel as these engines are hard to restart after they ran out of fuel.
I made it to the gas station. The off-road diesel pump is that the far end. I was a little over 15 feet from the pump when I ran out of diesel. I tried starting the engine. It started and I was able to move a foot or two before the tractor ran out of diesel for good.
You have got to be kidding me!!!! 15 feet away! Soooo close! But not close enough for the pump's hose to reach my tractor. And my tractor is too heavy to push it those last few feet to the pump.
*Augh!!!*
Fortunately at a nearby pump was a neighbor who lives a mile down the road, who I hadn't met yet. He had a truck and a chain and he pulled my tractor to the pump. I filled the tractor's fuel tank. Now to start the tractor... My engine does have a priming pump on a fuel filter. I primed the pump. I tried starting the tractor. And it started up!!!!
Hurray!!
So another day. Another bout of bad luck... though it was better to run out of fuel at the gas station than a mile down the road.
Tomorrow task.... baling my crop. I'll see if I can get through tomorrow without any problems.
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