I left the Ford’s Homestead with a couple errands to run Friday morning. I was able to afford a cup of coffee from the fast food restaurant with my name in it (Donald). The cost was $1.08 for a medium coffee. Being on a fixed income, I did not have the funding to purchase any food items.
I went by the bank in hopes of getting a couple dollars but I did not get any funding. The teller machine was broken. I understand they have live people inside the bank, but I am not sure of that.
Anyway, I was driving back toward the Homestead when I noticed this van come up behind me very quickly. The driver was a female and there was a handicapped sign hanging on the mirror. Leaving ones handicapped sign hanging on the vehicles mirror is illegal, but most of the so-called handicapped display them from the mirror all the time. I think it would be interesting if the police would start issuing tickets for this infraction.
Anyway, this female subject must have been in a hurry as she was severely tail gating me. I could feel her warm breath on the back of my neck, or was it, the heater that I had activated to help keep the Fords Chevy warm in the frigid weather. I considered just for a second, “Would I have hit the brakes allowing her to rear end me, if I had an old junky truck”?
Being a nice person, I slowed down until she finally got the message and backed off, then I again resumed driving at the posted speed. The rest of the drive home was uneventful!
Now I will bundle up and begin moving the flower pots to the back 40. L
This process took about an hour of, extreme physical exertion. Please don’t feel sorry for me at this point in the story, heck just getting out of my chair sometimes takes extreme physical exertion! I will continue, I used a wagon, I place the potted plants in the wagon and then pulled the wagon to the ole hot house. It seem in this process, I move a few flowers that should not have moved, too late now.
There was one flower pot which I would say was over grown, as the plant spread over a large area. My frost I mean first wife calls this plant, ice, for some reason. I had permission to cut some of the growth in order to move the plant, which I did. The plant was inside a flower bed that had blocks of about six inches wide all around it. This made it difficult to get my feet close enough to the plant to lift properly. You know, lift with your legs, not your back.
This pot weighed between 30 and 40 pounds. I was not lifting with my legs, I was about half way through the lift when the pain went through my back. I said some bad words. I wanted to drop the plant but I did not. I was able to get this plant stored properly. Oddly enough, this was next to the last plant that I needed to move. The last plant was too large for one person to handle.
I began babying my back, as I was afraid I had done some real damage to, “The Ford’s ole back!”
I was able to get a light lunch of homemade tamales, and then rested for about 20 minutes in the Ford’s ole recliner. There was a project where I was able to help with, which took us about 2 hours, after which I returned home. I then had about 20 minutes before I headed out to school where I waited for a while on Alex.
Back at home with my spouse of almost five decades, I helped her a little but was in the way most of the time, all the while thinking that there was one more plant that needed to be moved. I secured my hooded shirt and went to the area where the oversized plant was located. My back was still hurting when I tried to bend over. As I stood there, literally knee deep in Jasmine vines. These vines had climbed up on and around the pot and plant, and would need to be removed prior to any attempt of relocation. I was able after several minutes of work, to get the plant and pot free from the vines. I devised a plan to move this huge pot and plant, without the help of others.
I went to the Ford’s ole shed and procured the two wheeler (it is convertible and will also act as a four wheeler). I also latched onto a strap with a ratchet and proceeded to the area. I again surveyed the area, decided how to get the pot on the two wheeler, where and how to secure it to the two wheeler, and the path I would use exiting the flower bed.
I carefully removed the unit, watching that my feet did not get tangled in the vines as I backed out of the flower bed. The two wheeler proved to be a back saver in the removal and moving of the flower. I used the neighbors drive way, the street in front of the Homestead, our drive way, and then I had to pull it through the yard to the hot house.
To make a short story longer, I was able to get the pot inside the hot house but it is not properly placed. The pot is so big, and the cacti is very large, it is sitting just inside the door way. I may attempt to push it further into the hot house today. Not sure how I will do that.
That’s my story and I am sticking with it!
Senior fellow of proper lifting techniques; Don Ford
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