DON'T BRING ME DOWN

Buster and I arrived at a small family lavender farm in Corning, California, a stay which we arranged through the Harvest Hosts program. As you probably know, the last few months have brought really heavy rains to some areas in California and a lot of snow to the mountains. In fact, the amount of rain is unlike anything seen in recent years and has brought the western part of California out of a years-long drought.

It was a beautiful sunny day when we arrived at the farm. We thought that this must be a little slice of heaven - a field of blooming lavender was growing in the fields and the lovely scent of lavender filled the air. We pulled the trailer into the field eager to set up camp only to immediately start sinking into the mud. A sense of panic set in, but we got to work in getting our 14,000-pound trailer extracted from the muddy field. After numerous attempts, we were able to move the trailer forward and free from the muck.

The rest of the evening was uneventful and after a good night of sleep, we prepared to leave for our next stop. Well, let’s just say … the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry as John Steinbeck quipped. The trailer was not going anywhere. The wheels were fully mired in the mud. All attempts to move the trailer were a total failure. Our truck was slipping and sliding. No amount of coercing and cajoling moved the trailer. The more effort to get the mammoth out of the mud only caused the beast to sink deeper into the soggy earth.

A gentleman who worked at the farm made the suggestion that perhaps tire chains could provide the needed traction for the truck to pull the trailer from its muddy captor. So, off we went to a local tire store to purchase the tire chains only to learn that there were none in stock. As we were set to leave, a guy approached and indicated that he knew a guy who may be able to help. We met our (hopefully) guardian angel. The angel’s name was Juan.

A man with a huge truck who purportedly could rescue any vehicle trapped in the mud appeared. As he directed us to lead him to the lavender farm, I couldn’t help noticing that this man’s rear window and bumper were adorned with scores of decals making clear his disdain for all things liberal. For those of you who know us, we lean to the left. But, we just smiled and led him to the farm.

He struggled to make any headway in getting the trailer to budge with the power of his big truck. It wasn’t for lack of effort. The black smoke that poured from his truck as he tried to pry the trailer from the mud and the massive tires spinning was quite the scene. The noise was deafening. The smoke and the noise almost brought me to tears. He then recommended tethering our truck to his, with his truck hooked to the trailer. He asked if it was okay if the trailer got muddy. “No, please do whatever you need to do.”

With both trucks going at full power, the mud slowly began its release on our trailer. I was certain that it would topple. Buster was sure that the undercarriage was being ripped apart. We held our breath.

With mud flying and black smoke billowing, the two trucks broke the grasp the mud had on our trailer. We were free. The field where we parked was now fully aerated and the farmers were gracious about the destruction we were leaving behind.

We learned a few things from this adventure. Make sure to stay on solid ground and allow yourself to see the goodness in others, even if you are certain that you have nothing in common with them. You may just get a pleasant surprise.

We’ll talk later,

Betty

Can you smell the lavender? This is what we saw when we got to the farm.

Tense

Really?

Is this going to work?

I’m not sure I want to watch