June 2, 2019

It seemed like a lot of money at the time, and I suppose it was, but it has proven to be worth every penny. Our old used lawn tractor was getting pretty tired, but when I saw the price on that Kubota with a bucket and backhoe sitting in the front lawn of a house on route 60, I passed. When I talked with my wife about it, she surprised me. “We have the money; go get it,” she advised, but the next day when I did so, it had been sold, marking the beginning of the search for a new machine. 

After reading lots of reviews, I settled on John Deere. Among other considerations was the fact that I found plenty of used Kubotas at the John Deere dealership, but the Kubota dealer had nary a John Deere. Apparently, the trading was only moving in one direction. It took a few false starts; a couple machines I had lined up got sold out from under me, but for the same money as the Kubota I missed out on, I finally made a deal and came home with a compact tractor with bucket and mower—slightly used, but almost brand new. The backhoe would have to wait, but a friend who had owned one wisely told me there were only a few times I’d want the hoe, but I’d be using the bucket constantly. He was right, and that tractor has been one of the best investments I’ve ever made.

Friday I got a text from my oldest son: “Can I borrow your tractor tomorrow morning?”

“Sure,” I replied.

Saturday morning was raining, prompting a second text: “I’m going to mow tomorrow.”

“We only agreed on today” (smiley face).

“I’ll have to mow fast to avoid the rain.”

“You can do it! I’ll watch.”

“Thanks for the support.”

“That’s what dads are for.”

His last text was priceless. “I had set my phone down upside down. When it buzzed just now, that’s the phrase that went through my head. Sounds like something I would have told the girls!” Reading that, I know I did my job as a father. He’s passing the lessons on.

He was pressed for time this afternoon, so when he called to borrow the mower, I told him I could come over and we could tag team with his mower and mine. With the five foot deck on mine, we could make quick work of it, which I did. His had thrown the belt, so I was able to do most of his lawn by the time he got it up and running, and the entire time, I was thanking God for this machine that has been so reliable that I’ve been able to help others with mowing, plowing, and moving dirt. For most of my life, not having the equipment, I wouldn’t have been able to do this kind of thing. Today I was, and I am thankful. He even treated me to a cup of Tim’s from the cafe that just opened in Cassadaga. What’s there to not like about that?