I have mentioned my love of the tractor before. If you remember, I was jealous that hubby got to drive it down the road to the John Deere shop for maintenance. Jealous like when your best friend got those sweet pair of Guess jeans before you did in high school. So, you can’t imagine my excitement when he said to me the other day “Tomorrow, I’ll drive you to John Deere and you can drive the tractor home. I’ll leave for work from there.”
Waaaa???!! I get to drive the tractor all the way home from John Deere?! Whatever will I wear?
As I approached J.D. (that’s what I’ve named the tractor-I know it’s not very creative), I noticed that they had detailed him! This beat up old tractor had been detailed! And he looked so pretty! I jumped on and started off towards home.
Purdy tractor!
We’ve lived in the country for nearly a year now (yes, I’m counting the time we lived in the camper, but also in the country). I’ve been very surprised at how the folks out here don’t fit the stereotype I had in my mind. I figured our “neighbors” in the country would be more…well…neighborly. I pictured hot apple pies and farm fresh veggies being brought over from time to time….home made preserves and a warm welcome. I thought the “two finger wave” would be a common practice when passing each other on the road. That has not been the case.
None of our “close” neighbors have even stopped by. I’ve had to stop by, or flag them as they drive through on their tractors. Most are moderately nice when I chat with them, but some seem to harbor some resentment. I don’t know what that’s about… Is it because we are “city folk” who moved to the country? Is it because we are the third owner of this home trying to “fix it up”? Do they think we won’t be here long? I just don’t get it. One of our “neighbors” (he’s about a mile away) has been a friend for 14 years. We were neighbors in the city years ago. He moved to the country 10 years or so ago and he has noticed the same thing. He, too, bought a 100 year old, neglected house on a few acres that he has meticulously restored. He has experienced downright rudeness (including people criticizing the color he painted his house!). Weird, huh??
Anyway, back to the tractor….as I drove J.D. home, I noticed that all I needed to do to get some kindness from my neighbors was to drive a tractor down the road. As I bounced down the road, wind in my hair, the smell of diesel in my nose…things changed. Every driver in every truck I passed waved. The good ole’ two finger country wave.
Maybe once we have a couple cows grazing, a pig wallowing, and some goats bleating on the “farm” we’ll get a pie.
In the city if you’re driving a tractor, looking cool by the way, you get the finger. In the country, equally cool looking and driving a tractor, you get the wave! Something about driving a tractor on the road pulls country folk together I guess. Could a pie be next?
You should get my moms apple butter recipe and bring it to them…that should help.
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