Proper planning prevents poor performance. Yes, I know that is the abbreviated and rated version of that saying. It’s kind of wild how the best laid plans can go haywire in a matter of seconds. A few years back, the plans for the day included dragging hay meadows, working on a well and feeding cows. Those plans went up in smoke, literally, when the tractor that was dragging the harrow suddenly decided to become a sculpture of fire in the middle of the field. No one was hurt, but the tractor was a pile of smoldering ashes in a matter of minutes. It’s funny how emergencies have a way of changing the plans for the day. All the things that seemed really important and had to be done on that day suddenly didn’t matter much anymore.
I was three years old when I first learned how plans could change when you least expected them. I was riding on an old Ford tractor with my mom when I slipped and fell and wound up looking up at the sky with a tractor parked on my arm. The following ten days were spent having surgery, learning to sleep in a hospital bed with my arm suspended in the air and seeing my parents worry and sorrow turn to relief and gratitude as they learned I would be ok. That accident forever changed the way my family viewed farm safety, and it made us vividly aware that life is short and can change in an instant.
Over the years I have had other instances in my life that reminded me that my plans aren’t necessarily the most important thing at the time. A phone call telling me of the loss of a friend or a loved one has stopped me in my tracks over the years. It’s hard to describe the feeling of not being able to talk to someone ever again, especially if you had put off calling them because you were too busy at the time. Life has a way of teaching lessons the hard way. Just about the time you think you are too busy, have too much on your plate and don’t have time for anything else, life will make time for you.
As I wrote this column, I was reminded of one of those life lessons today. I had gotten an early start this morning because I knew the wind was forecasted to blow around noon. I wanted to get a bunch of hay ground before that wind hit. Around 11 in the morning the wind started to pick up. I figured I would grind a couple more bales before I quit for lunch and put the grinder away for the day. My plans to grind a couple more bales changed in a hurry when the dust coming from the hay grinder looked less like dust, and a whole lot like smoke. I jumped out of my tractor and ran to the grinder to stop the tub. I managed to get the grinder moved away from the hay pile and the burning bale dumped out of the tub before any real damage was done. My right-hand man got the fire rig loaded and our summer help got busy keeping the flames from spreading onto the main stack. I may never know what was in that bale that caused it to spark, but I’m forever thankful that we had people on this ranch willing to jump into action, a local fire department that was here in a flash, and good neighbors who brought their own equipment to help when we needed it the most and called to check on us.
Planning ahead is always important. It’s good to make sure you have an idea of what you are going to do for the day and how you are going to do it. Just remember that the best plans can go out the window in a hurry, and it’s best to have a backup plan. That’s all for this time. Keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and God Bless.