Freak Tractor Accident

I had heard about them: Freak Tractor Accidents. I never knew anyone who was involved in one, personally. Until today.

I suppose that living in the country, it was inevitable. But we've only been here a year!

This afternoon, I drove with the three kids in the minivan to the farm where we get our milk. (Yes, we drink raw milk - but I'll post about that another time). The farmer was out with the snowblower, and he asked me to move my car from the driveway by the house to the driveway in front of the barn. So I did, and I got my milk.

When I tried to back out the driveway, I kept hitting ice and getting stuck. I was attempting to back up a slight hill. But it was more level closer to the barn. So I pulled forward a couple of inches and tried again. And again. And again. Until such point as I was up behind the big, green tractor.

Not being a stupid person, I put the car in park, and flagged down the farmer. I explained that this California girl seemed unable to back out the driveway, and that I had run out of room. "No problem,"he said, "I'll just move the tractor and give you more room."

So I stood outside my car, the three kids strapped inside it, and watched. He got on the tractor, which faced the other way from the minivan and started it up. Here's the freaky part. Two things kind of like a tow hitch on the back of a pick up were on the back of this tractor. I gather you would attach a shovel or plow, or any number of things to the back of the tractor with these. They began about a quarter of an inch in front of my front bumper. But then they jutted back into my bumper and began to raise up. The car went with.

Maybe this whole thing took about 10 seconds. I don't know. Because I was screaming and waving my arms like a lunatic. "STOP!!! SSSSSTTTTOP!!!! To no avail because he was wearing headphones from when he had been using the snowthrower. Finally he noticed and stopped. The car came back down, and the bumper ripped off the front of the car, and was hanging there, like a plow attachment.

I was totally freaking out for those few seconds. But as soon as the car was back on the ground, and I knew the kids were okay, it all seemed way too funny to me. The farmer was taking his turn to freak out now. We were both shocked at what had happened. "I didn't see that coming," I said. "Me, neither." He agreed.

My big concern was getting the kids home. So he helped me by getting bungee cords from the barn and bungeeing the bumper back on so I could drive it home. It looks like it's a series of plastic screws hook it back together. So hopefully we can get it all fixed without too much cost.