We don’t own livestock, so we don’t hay our fields. We manage our land to benefit wildlife. Following the recommendations of Vermont’s Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, I delay cutting our fields until August, so I don’t jeopardize any meadow-nesting birds or whitetail fawns with my machinery. We own two small fields, and I also mow an 80-yard-in-diameter food plot, plus my brother’s neighboring wild-apple orchard. These parcels don’t add up to much, maybe 12 acres tops, but it always takes several days for me to complete the task with my 1980 Same tractor dragging an old brush hog. Invariably, the process is hindered by various complications.
Although I no longer do any commercial logging, I still keep a winch attached to my tractor during most of the year, in case I need to drag a fallen tree to clear a trail. Removing the winch and attaching the brush hog to the tractor’s three-point hitch is sometimes difficult for me to do single-handedly, so last week I asked my brother David to help me. We removed the winch without much trouble, but attaching the brush hog wasn’t so easy. We hooked up the top and left pins to the three-point hitch and used a crowbar to lever the drive shaft into place, but attaching the right pin to the hitch proved to be quite difficult. We were able to line up the pin with the hole vertically, but we couldn’t move the hitch horizontally far enough to insert the clip into the pin. After struggling for a frustrating length of time, David finally fetched an eight-foot pry bar and we manhandled the brush hog sideways far enough to complete the connection.
The following morning, while greasing the tractor, I noticed that two of the three bolts supporting the left front wheel suspension were missing. This was alarming! Eventually I found some bolts that were the correct diameter and thread, but they were a bit too long, so I added a nut along with a lock washer to make them fit. I tightened all the bolts and was ready to roll . . . for two hours. Then the right hitch came unpinned. David was unavailable, so I had to make the reconnection by myself. It occurred to me that I could use a ratchet strap to pull the hitch to the pin. This actually worked, so I’m good to go. For now . . .

Michael Hahn Band varies in size from a duo to a six-piece band, depending upon the size and budget of the venue. They love to make music for any occasion.

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