Truck Driving Lesson...

This is the beast. I got up to 4th gear in this truck this weekend! Not a huge milestone, but I officially can drive around a field without causing too much damage to the truck, the field, or to my self esteem.

I have been wanting to learn to drive truck for over a year. I want to be able to contribute out on the farm and get to spend some time with my hubby. Not only did I get a truck driving lesson (it was the first of many I am sure) I got a lesson on how the truck works and the gears.

Now, in my family we have many different kinds of people. Jake my middle brother is into engineering. Zack, is into baseball. I am into talking to people and can bust out a decent paper in 15 minutes. And Shane is into how things work properly.

I cannot start to comprehend why I have to double clutch etc. I just need to know when and how I need to double clutch. Shane wants to know why it works that way and thought I would want to know too. He explained it to me. And I swear I tried to follow what he was saying, but I felt my mind turning to mush, just like it did in Sophomore Ag when Mr. Church tried to get me to put together the PVC Pipe and tried to explain why we had to get the angle just right etc.

I think he talked for 15 minutes...I watched as his hands made foreign movements that I couldn't understand and when he looked at me and said, "you got it" I in true form nodded my head, just like I did that day in Ag Class. He got out of the truck and I skooted into the drivers seat.

Now, looking back I know I should have yelled, No! I'm sorry I don't understand!" I should have explained that while he was patiently and excitedly explaniing these things to me, I was actually going over our grocery list, thinking about how beautiful the scenery was and how I really want a new Canon camera to properly capture the beauty of the Palouse. But, I had already nodded yes, I understand exactly what you were explaining to me.

I turned the key, so far so good. I pushed the clutch in...not so good. Apparently I am supposed to try to shift to first while easing on the clutch. I think, "Goodness gracious! This is nothing like my Honda!" I eased on the clutch slipped into first and took off. I worked my way up to 4th gear while driving up and down the field. They didn't let me try my hand at unloading the combine, but it will happen this summer.

I am just happy that I am officially able to drive one of the trucks and able to contribute to the harvest time! I feel more North Idaho farmer already!

Door to Door...Free Cookies!

So, I have been tempted the last couple weeks to make a big batch of cookies and sit on the front porch when Shane leaves early in the morning and see how else's husband leaves that early. Once identifying those houses, I will take cookies around and say, "Hi, I'm Marie, I noticed your husband leaves at 5 am too! He must be a farmer, want to be friends?" I think this would be the perfect solution to meeting people in Tekoa.

So, if you by chance read this, you live in Tekoa, and your spouse/boyfriend is a farmer and there is a weekend you get bored, just let me know :)

Notes on Tekoa--I should say that Tekoa is a great town and everyone I have met has been so friendly. It helps that Shane was apparently VERY nice to people while he was in high school. People seem genuinely nice, interested, and supportive of having us live in the cute town! I am going to try to make it to the pool one of these days and am very excited for sports to start up again to watch some Hawk action :)

John Deere...

While driving home last night it hit me that I am a farmers wife. I wear many hats in my life--any given day my duties range from cook, cleaner, laundress, professional driver, runner, UI recruiter and more. But, I had never thought of myself as a farmers wife. I have been a farmers daughter and a farmers granddaugher my entire life--but this was quite the realization to me!

I love farming and growing up was lucky enough to be around agriculture. I drove truck for my grandfather while he fed cows, I pulled weeds, turned bales, and irrigated for him. I showed market lambs at the county fair for 12 years straight. I have seen many sides of agriculture, but that was South Idaho.

Now I'm in North Idaho/Eastern Washington. The tractors are bigger, the fields are more acreage, and the old farmers that I bs'ed with growing up are over 300 miles away. Now, I am adjusting to working full time and being a wife...I mean a farmers wife, which has some differences...especially in North Idaho :)