MORE FROM THE FIELD

Robert Miller

As I read your blog this morning, I remembered a time when Ernie, Robin Moore, George Payne and I were hauling hay from the airport to a barn on South Booth Road. Robin had gotten the job and it paid by the bale, so he decided to see how many bales we could haul per hour.

On a return trip up Booth Road, Robin was driving faster than he should, especially since he was pulling the four-wheel farm trailer behind the truck. It was connected to the bumper of the truck with a drop pin, and no nut to keep it in place (what did teens know about safety?). The rope used to tie down the hay was tied to the front of the trailer and was loosely resting on the flat bed trailer.

Well, all the bouncing over the ruts of the road jostled the end of the rope off the back and it was snaking along behind. George had the idea that he could walk the tongue of the trailer and get on board from the truck, which he did successfully. He pulled the rope back on board and turned, still standing up, holding the rope like a cowboy out of a wild west movie -- when the pin popped out of the trailer tongue.

Ernie and I watched helplessly as the trailer ran down the road for a short distance until the tongue dropped into a rut. With that, the trailer bucked into the air, with George holding the rope like a wild steer rider. We feared the worst as we got Robin stopped and the dust cleared. The trailer was off in a field beside the road. We found George unhurt, bent over laughing as though he had been on the carnival ride of his life.

Talk to you later,

Bob/Robert

(Nancy Carver used to call me “Bobert”)