Machines In The Garden

It's early morning. I am somewhere in Ohio, maybe three hours from Youngstown, where I am to pick up our van from the price gouging repair station. I'll then drive back to Minnesota to get Betsy, our cat, and this 1989 GardenWay Troybilt Horse. Then we'll drive back to New York. It's crazy, I know, but Betsy needed more time with her ailing father and I repaired this tiller that can be put to good use on the farm. 

Maybe next time I'll grab this machine, which is not yet fully repaired. Cuts grass, and clover, and maybe even cover crops. 

The Garden Tractor

Can anyone find me this part? It's an electrical system condenser for a Briggs & Stratton 7hp vertical shaft motor on a Simplicity Broadmoor 728 circa 1972/4. 

I've been looking at used garden tractors for mowing at the farm, but I've steered clear because these old machines look like they'll be broke more than running. It's only because I've been eyeing them that I noticed and recognized this model of tractor in my father in law's garage. 

I don't know anything about small engines, but have come to realize how simple they are and that's a beautiful thing. I set to taking it apart; troubleshooting amongst the mosquitoes; each day stalled by some new complication, yet progress on each endeavor. The starter now turns, but no spark. 

I guess I've given myself this challenge to distract myself with learning. At the same time, the lawn here needs to be mowed, and there are five non working mowers in the garage, six if you count the Simplicity. I've been trying to sell these for parts on CL, but so far little to no biting. 

Meanwhile, our trusty van is in Ohio, waiting on a new, used rear end from a junk yard in Georgia. Poor thing gave out just east of the Pennsylvania Ohio line. We had to rent a car to continue on to Minnesota, while our credit gets torn into by the Youngstown Aamco. 

The expense aside, I'm befuddled because I was going to borrow my father in law's rototiller, carting it back to NY in the van. It's a large Troybilt, with forward and reverse, big tines, and plenty of power for the farm. I've considered shipping it, but so far in the hole already, and now I'm so focused on starting the lawn tractor that I may never get to it. 

We'll see what tomorrow brings in garden tractor repair. If I can get that machine started, I'll feel pretty good. 

Hoedown

These are my new tools. They lack the grace of fine Dutch tools; in fact they rather have an American brutality about them. Made in the Missouri Ozarks of discarded farm implement discs and ash wood handles, they're inexpensive, tough with a fair amount of coarseness. Although they're probably more than is required on my stone-free sandy loam, one never knows what ground may be broken in the future. I expect these to last.

The opposite edge is ground on a wheel and watch those fingers sharp. If you're interested, it's Rogue Hoe.    What I've here is their standard hoe (5.75 by 2 deep, shallow curvature), the mini (4 across, 3 deep), a mini scuffle (3.5 by 3.5 by 4 inches), and a soil rake (6.5 by 6.5 and 4 lbs).

Etymology of the hoedown: it is speculated that a hoedown is a type of dance that mimicked the hoeing of fields (do the mashed potata). But I propose that since we go to a hoedown, it may have also stemmed from the notion of laying down our hoes so that we can have some fun.

Time Machine

    

A time to cast away stones, and a time to 

  gather stones together; a time to embrace, 

  and a time to refrain from embracing; 

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to

  keep, and a time to cast away; 

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to 

  keep silence, and a time to speak; 

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of

  war, and a time of peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3:5-8

  There is no time, there is nothing but time. And our answer to this quandary is an iPhone. Long have we avoided these -for the cost, for the individuation they market, but do not manifest. Betsy is overwhelmed by work emails and students who are ever-connected. Me? Well, I'll give mobile blogging some effort. I think the key to not becoming a smart phone zombie is understanding the device as a tool. People appear to hold them as idols. Never be a tool for the machine. And, although it is a new age, I still believe New Yorkers despise sloth, especially the inattentive, digital dowsers who clog subway stairways and sidewalks and stores. We don't have time for that! We want to be on time.

        "There are two ways to make money. One is to make something 

         that is useful to people and sell it. The other way is to steal it."

So it is that you cannot honestly charge for Time, you cannot fairly collect interest, and, consequently, you cannot make money by money alone. We know about this, we even have a name for it -Wall Street. This is a very old idea -it presupposes that Time is at the hand of God, that Time is not ours to know, have, give, or sell. Whether you believe in deity or not is beside the point -Time is not on our side.

We've all heard that Time is money. Why? Is Time the most valuable of conditions? We have made a rule of charging by the hour? There is never enough money, although we may be able to get more, but, can we get more Time, is there not enough Time? Can we trade Time, can we buy Time? Is Time transmutable? Transferable? Maybe the problem is not that there is not enough time, but that we believe we are in control of Time; it has become our time. We've confused the hands of the clock with something out of our hands. 

Consider, then, the simple act of giving a gift. A gift enables your actions, it expands your experience within Time. A tool does the same, by enabling your actions, and increasing your productivity. We will say that we have more Time because of Time saved. But it is not true. Time is just the same, but the gift of a tool exposes us to it! That a gift can make short our work and expand our experience is a profound manifestation of humanity. The thing given is never the gift, but the perception of Time is.

May this new iPhone (or any bedraggled version of these tools) makes short my work. From camera to blog, in situ, or weather that can be analyzed while traveling the lake effect highway, so that I can work my spreadsheet at the farm, or upload meteorological data from sensors in the field. Mobile computing must transform my consciousness of Time. Otherwise, given life and death, it is simple senselessness.

Toolish Pride

I love my garden tools. In NYC, I don't need too many because the garden is small and so is the apartment. Keeping it simple keeps me from having to store underused tools. I have 5 tools, a spool of twine, and some gloves. Three of these tools I use regularly, the rake seasonally, and lopper hardly ever (but I couldn't get rid of it just in case). My tools:

Spear & Jackson long-handled trowel

Spear & Jackson spade

By-pass pruner is a Felco #2

Mini-rake - Ames brand

Lopper -mystery, the logo has worn off


One of my favorite tool sources is Peaceful Valley Farm Supply -thats where I got my spade. Another good source is Lee Valley Tools. Its hard to get good gardening tools locally. Most hardware stores carry Ames or Tru-temper brand tools. I've had those, but used them up. But the Ames mini rake my wife found at Lowes. We needed something small for our small garden and this fit the bill.