March
The only thing worse than Brad lingering around past 9pm after a 3pm social, is the snow sitting around on the ground in March. You've had your time, now go on now, git. It would take until late March to eventually all melt away.
I had a lot of work to do this Spring. I had to clear all the stumps and debris, plow in a field, and sell some planks. How could I do any of this if the snow was still laying on the ground. I'd have to wait until April.
In the meantime I would spend the time hauling planks, munching on homemade Cheetos, and doing various mental exercises. The homemade Cheetos are fresh woodchips marinated in aged diesel exhaust fluid for 48 hours, and deepfried in organic hydraulic oil. I'm hoping to implement dairy somehow soon to add the authentic cheese flavor they're lacking at the moment. But all in due time.
Letter from Brad:
Hello Simple, I have a used 8R with 39.8 for 145. Come on down, let's talk.
I was able to decode the cryptic message, informing me that there was a used John Deer 8R available for $145,000. That was a great price for all that horsepower, but I had no implements that would use it, or $145,000. Tempting, but I decided to go a different route. I would sell enough planks to buy an easier way to transport my goods. There is a lot of transportation coming up in June and I don't want to miss the Organized Prime shipment.
As I was transporting now, I used a small bale trailer that I could convert to a regular trailer. The primary issues occurred when I went to load it. The lumber was heavy; I had to attach a heavy wieght to the back to keep from tipping forward. This caused issues because the trailer would move all catty-wampus whenever I would bump it, causing it to tip over; I would have to unhook the weight, and reattach to the trailer to pull it back straight. Plus, it could only fit 2 units at a time, and even that was pressing the envelope. Then the drive down took quite awhile at 24mph. In order to fully capitalize on this proverbial cash cow, I would need a means to transport a few more units at a time.
Let's put on some fancy clothes and head on down to chat with Brad about what a guy could get.
Brad: Hey hey hey, welcome in Simple, glad you got the letter. The 9R is just there.
Simple: I've been making a lot of money.
Brad: Uh... glad to hear, Simple... you know I could tell. The other day I saw you spending pretty big at the Vending Machine. Inheritance? *leaning forward, in eager anticipation*
Simple: Planks.
Brad: Planks... u don't say...
Brad: you've changed, Simple. You seem... more important now...
Simple: Yeah, you might say that.
Brad: My goodness - excuse me then! I simply wasn't aware. How may I assist yourself today, sir?
Simple: Thank you, and yes, I'd like to discuss options for hauling my planks. Money is no object here, something shiny.
Brad: of course! I have nothing in stock right now, but what about a flatbed Mann for 133k?
Simple: not modular enough, need something multipurpose.
Brad: Okay, how about a tractor pulled low loader trailer?
Simple: Can't reverse it. Don't have 2 tractors either.
Brad: Okay, uh.. I have just the solution for you. A classic Mack truck with black painted wheels, white striping and flatbed hauler to match. All the important people are buying these.
Simple: *pulling out cash-filled briefcase* name your price.
With this semi I could now easily haul 5 units at a time. Now the problem was going to be manufacturing enough planks.
April
When an important local farm magnate steps out on his porch on a beautiful spring morning, the surrounding wildlife pauses their chittering and chattering and notices. Unless you have the all-new 'Critters' mod enabled, in which case nothing happens, the birds continue to whistle away. As if nothing happened.
Such was my surprise on the sunny spring day at hand as I stepped out on my cabin porch. Sick of the infernal, constant, wind sound, perpetually in my ears, I built a bird feeder to attract a better soundscape. The infernal wind sound remains, but at least it's accompanied by beautiful animal noises. This sunny month was going to be busy.
I took a few minutes to admire my shiny, new Mack, taking up half of my farmyard. What a beautiful machine. It was almost too beautiful... like a sinking stone, buyer's remorse began to set in: down, down, down - into the deep, dark bay. Should I really have spent nearly $150,000 on a semi when times were this tough? Nervousness knawed at my soul, and I at my fingernails.
I wrestled of all these thoughts as I hacked and ground at stumps and debris with my stump grinder. When had I cut down so many trees! How was I ever going to get this all done by May!? When I had defeated the last stump, I attempted to drive around with the trailer and pick up all the debris, but it was too hard to see in the grass, so I decided to pick it all up after I had plowed in the field. I hooked up the plow in an attempt to force a field upon the rugged landscape. By this time, sweat was running in rivulets down my forehead and into my eyes. The tractor labored and spun, the engine trying desperately not to overheat. Night fell, but I simply consumed another handful of my Cheetos and continued to work. By now, my fancy clothes were a shredded and grimy mess. I didn't feel very important anymore.
May
May arrived just as I finished etching in the field, leaving me just enough time to get it limed and planted. I purchased a 6m planter and planted corn. The plan is to eventually rent a forage harvester or buy a used one by the fall, and make silage.
After getting the corn in, I cut and baled the grass in my meadow. This would keep my existing customers in power for the next 12 months, but with the sileage from the corn I might be able to expand my distribution a little and make a little more money. 100L of grass make only 125KwH, where 500L of sileage make 816KwH.
As the sun set on the last day May I admitted my dependence on logging. I was nearly out of planks at the sawmill, and out of wood. Without the stream of money from the planks I would be altogether broke. Hopefully the sileage was a good idea for income off of this field; I debated sugar beets but the equipment was pretty expensive and required a sugar beet cutter bucket to load them into the biogas plant. I think sileage will be a little easier to deal with, and it's not so heavy. I have the trailer wieght limit and I'm hoping I can fill trailers with sileage as opposed to sugar beets. I see there's a new sugar beet bucket that can be attached to a wheel loader finally, so next year I might do sugar beets after all and we can compare. By then hopefully I'll have another field as well. Spring is gone and with it the spring in my step. I stumbled back to cabin, stooping to pick some fresh dandelions for a salad, wishing I could catch one of the deer prancing around nearby. I think the Cheetos are an unhealthy snack for me, because I'm really not feeling good anymore; my stomach feels like a chemical deposit. Also my brain seems to be cracking, so to speak. So time to cut back a little on junk food and perhaps try some of the olives growing in my greenhouse. Who knows, maybe this summer I'll find a way to afford a little something out of the vending machine.
That night, out of a dead sleep, I sat straight up in bed with a jolt of pure terror:
"Why is the wind blowing from the East!?" I gasped in horror, my wide eyes staring directly ahead,
"I hope it's not too late!!"