A couple of loads

One summer when I was growing up daddy was home one afternoon and did not have any plans.  This was not a good thing.  My dad was not one to just sit around.  Instead he would find something to do and many times it meant that I would have something to do also.  This particular time daddy suggested that we go pick a “couple” of loads of rock off of the tobacco fields.  For those of you who think this does not sound like fun, you are correct.

The land around Dobyville does have its share of rock.  While the smaller gravel size may not be a problem, larger ones can get way when plowing and working the crops, and it is a good idea to get them off the fields.  While geologic studies may disagree,  I think these rocks may be capable of breeding.  It seems like no matter how many rocks you remove from the land, they will return the following year after plowing and getting ready to plant a new crop.

This particular HOT summer day we hooked up the trailer, which is rather large, and headed for the field.  Since there were several rocks on the field it did not take too long to pick up and dump 2 loads into a gully in the pasture. Since a thought a “couple” meant 2 I thought me might be done.  Daddy defined couple differently.  Since we had started he decided to clean up the entire field, about 5 acres!  The chore had started out as something to do one afternoon had become a major project.  To make a long story short,  daddy had decided that things were OK later in the week after we had hauled off 22 loads of rock.  I slept very well that week.  Some of the rocks were large enough that it would take my dad and I both to lift them.

The moral of this story, make sure you know someone defines “couple” when planning out a task!