Birds, spinach, and lousy tractor salesmen

I looked out the window in my computer room a few minutes ago and saw a huge flock of black birds (probably starlings) in the pasture. Click on the picture to see them better. I wish Cliff had planted that plowed field in the distance; dirt isn't very photogenic. He's disking it over and over, trying to get rid of some broad-leaf weeds. He'll seed it in pasture-grass this fall.

A few weeks ago I mentioned finding a stick in my Popeye Spinach. I went to the Allen website, made my complaint, and waited. A couple of days ago I received three crisp one-dollar bills and a recipe book from them, along with an apology. Always remember, if there's the slightest thing wrong with any foodstuffs you buy, be sure and complain. It will be worthwhile. I'll still buy Popeye Spinach, by the way.

Now on to the main story: In July of 2003, Cliff thought he might want to buy a Kubota tractor. He's never had a new tractor, but I was working at the time, and I figured the budget might allow for payments on a newish tractor. Cliff decided to rent a Kubota tractor to make sure that was what he wanted.
I took this picture that day. He decided it was exactly the tractor he wanted. So on my birthday, July 7, we headed for the nearest Kubota dealer with full intention of buying one, that very day.

We walked around the lot for at least fifteen minutes, and nobody came out to help us. Finally we went inside and found a salesman, an older fellow who didn't seem to be too worried about making a sale. There was a one-year-old Kubota Cliff was interested in: it was the right size, and we figured the price would be considerably less than what we'd pay for a brand new tractor.

The price the man gave us was only $1,000 less than a new one, and he obviously wasn't interested in dickering. Cliff was a little despondent as we headed home, so I hit him with a suggestion: "Maybe we should go look at John Deeres and see if their prices are similar."

Cliff picked out a tractor and we signed on the dotted line. It was his. See, when I'm ready for my husband to buy, I'm ready NOW.

Not two hours after we got back home, the Kubota salesman called, wondering if we had thought about that Kubota.

"Oh, too late," I told him. "We just bought a John Deere."

I loved telling him that!

This is the first glamor shot ever taken of the tractor. These pictures are taken with my first digital camera, so they leave something to be desired.

Back then, the next-door twins were here constantly. They were almost as thrilled about the new tractor as Cliff was. Can you believe that little fellow is eighteen years old now?

Cliff has never been sorry he bought the tractor. It's still as good as new, and he uses it several times a week. I've always thought he should have bought just one size bigger, but he's happy with it. It runs forever on a tank of diesel.

We joked around for a long time about Cliff buying me a tractor for my birthday.

The moral of the story is this: If you are a salesman, you had better strike while the iron is hot; that customer you're treating so casually might be ready to buy right this minute!