It's a Good Kind of Sweat

The Brits left last Monday, so I’m now the only volunteer until the next batch arrives. Danny is expecting three grad students from New York and a guy from South Korea this weekend, although he’s learned that arrival dates and plans are always subject to change. I’m leaving on Monday for my next farm, which is in Montana, so this is my last week here.

Danny and I have been working long days to get the new field ready for planting. We finished cutting, assembling and installing all the new irrigation pipes, then buried them. Sadly, the hard-earned hole I dug is now just a bump in the ground. It was tough to see it go, but I’m coping.

After the irrigation system was done, we spent a few days stretching wire across both halves of the field to make sure we dig planting holes in a straight line. That about killed me the first day—I pulled muscles in both my arms and could barely pull my boots off when I came in. It did get easier over the next couple days.

Once the wires were set, we started digging holes for the new grapes with gas-powered augers. The machine wasn’t as scary as it looked, but to really grind it into the ground I had to lean over so that my face was right in front of its exhaust vent. I’m not sure how much carbon monoxide I inhaled, but I managed to stay coherent. The tough part was that the temperature in the canyon reached 100 degrees, and the hot exhaust blowing in my face didn’t help.

I did great with the auger until I finished my first row. After that, it got tough fast. Every hole became harder and harder to drill until I couldn’t even pull it out of the ground anymore. I struggled and cursed at it a long time before I finally conceded that I’m a weakling. I found Danny and shamefully told him I didn’t have enough strength to use it properly. He gave it a go and couldn’t pull it out either. We fought with that thing a long time, bending it every which way and digging up around it until it finally came out. That’s when we discovered there were a lot of big tree roots in the ground on that part of the field, which he told me used to be an orchard. The auger got stuck in one and had no chance of coming loose on its own. We tried digging a few more holes in that line with a more powerful auger but couldn’t get through, even with both of us putting our weight into it.

By the way, here’s what was left of the auger bit after we got it out. I didn’t feel so weak after seeing this:

We spent the next day modifying the tractor to drill for us. This involved borrowing a few parts from the Mormon neighbors down the road and driving to Cortez to buy a few more. We spent the whole day figuring out a way to make it work and I learned a lot about tractor mechanics. Did you know that most tractor problems can be fixed with a mini sledge and a colorful vocabulary? It’s true. I really liked the tractor store. It brought back all the excitement of going to a toy store as a kid. I wanted to test drive every machine and try out every attachment! I think I actually drooled.

It took another day for us to work out all the kinks in the field—and buy a few more components—but we finally got the tractor auger working (I call it a trauger). Now we’re drilling holes like mad.

We did have a problem with a couple crabapple trees. Danny wanted to try to save them, but they didn’t leave any room for the tractor to get through, so they had to come down. That’s when I learned to use a chainsaw. I really liked the chainsaw. I mean I REALLY liked it. Sorry to say this since I’m a tree lover, but slaughtering that tree that was the most fun I’ve had in ages. I can totally understand the appeal of murdering someone with one of those things.

I’m also happy to say the bugs haven’t been a problem anymore. I use my natural repellent and avoid the mosquito netting and all is well. The wind has picked up, too, which also helps keep them away. A few days ago, a strong gust blew my hat off my head and carried it clear across the field. It landed near where Hosey was working, about 300 feet away. When he returned it to me, I asked why his hat never blows off. He told me that tying a wet bandana around his head keeps it in place, then added that he learned that trick in the Civil War during the battle of Gettysburg.

Any past complaints I had about feeling like a slacker here are long gone. Without the less-enthused volunteers, my workday has grown from a lazy four hours full of breaks to an action-packed seven or eight hours with just enough time for a sandwich at lunch. I feel like I really earn the soreness I feel when I wake up in the mornings. The best part is that I can see the progress we’re making in the field every day, and it feels great. I wish I’d be here long enough to see the grapes go in, but I’m also very excited about the Montana farm.

Incidentally, on our last shopping trip, Danny loaded up a whole cart of fresh fruits and veggies. That surprised me a bit, considering that until I arrived the house was full of nothing more than processed junk food. When I asked Danny about it he told me he only bought the crap food because that’s what the volunteers at that time would eat. Any fresh produce he bought then would just go bad. Now that they’re gone, we can stock up on real food. You know, the kind of stuff our grandparents recognized as food.

Got my veggies. Got my chainsaw. Life is good.