“A call came in for right down the road” Farmer said to me.
Son #4, who was out in the middle of the field, is on the Volunteer Fire Department and his pager went off. He called Farmer to let him know.
“What kind of call?” I asked. He mumbled something and then said, “I hope it’s not (insert local farm business). One of their guys might be out in the field.”
I wasn’t paying real close attention. I just returned from a root canal on an abscessed tooth and wasn’t feeling real well.
“Want to ride out there”?
“Nope” I replied as I was heading to the couch.
He walked out the door and I answered my cell phone. It was a daughter-in-law. I was chatting with her while watching Farmer out the window. He was heading west on our road and I saw him stop and then an emergency truck from the fire department met him coming the other way. The truck passed him and pulled into the farm driveway.
Farmer peeled out backwards and flew up the driveway. I saw him run towards a fertilizer truck that was parked next to our truck that carries our fertilizer in a tank out to the fields.
“Crap” I thought, hung up the phone and ran over.
The guy from the (insert local farm business) had been filling our tank with fertilizer from his truck. Our tank holds 1300 gallons. Just as he finished filling the tank, the bottom connection and only connection, where the hose had been hooked between our tank and his busted loose. The fertilizer was spraying all over him. He was trying to stop the flow with his hands and he was covered in fertilizer. It was in his eyes and he couldn’t see. He was hollering when Farmer got to him.
Because the positions of the truck were T-boned, no one could see him, even when they drove up the barn driveway. No one could hear him screaming with the tractors, chopper and wagons driving in and out the driveway. He had been covered in fertilizer and couldn’t see for about fifteen minutes he thought by the time he managed to get his phone and call 911.
When I got there the firemen in the emergency vehicle had him down off the back of the truck and were rinsing his eyes with water from bottles. Son #2 showed up out of nowhere and he and Farmer were trying to plug up the hole from the outside. If they couldn’t get the hole plugged we would have lost the 1300 gallons. They were grabbing whatever they could find to shove in the hole.
When I asked “What can I do”? Farmer said to go get pails of water on the back of the truck, some pants (the guys store their uniform pants at the barn) and goggles.
As I headed to the shop I called Son #4 who was out in the field and asked him to “get up here and help.” “I am, I’m headed there now” he informed me.
I ran to the shop, found the goggles. Then I drove the truck down to the old parlor, filled up 3 pails with water. I grabbed the pants and was headed back to the truck. Farmer was running by with a long pole, threw it in the back of the truck, jumped into the truck and said “Go!”
As fast as I could without spilling all the water I headed back to the trucks.
By then, the large fire tanker truck with water and another truck had arrived and they were spraying off fertilizer man.
I carried the water to the back of the truck where Farmer and Son #2 would alternately try to plug the hole and rinse their hands and arms.
Farmer and Son# 2 came up with a plan. Wrap a coat (we used a coat because it was the only thing there in the truck) around the long pole that Farmer got and shove it down into the hole from the top of the tank. So they were going to plug it from the inside out.
One of the firemen took the pole, climbed to the top of the tank and guided the pole down into the tank. After a couple attempts it worked. Farmer and Son #2 rinsed their arms and Son #2 went to the shop to try to fix or replace the broken pipe.
The firemen spoke to the business that delivered the fertilizer and determined it was starter fertilizer. Starter fertilizer is used to help get the corn off to a good start. The liquid nitrogen in the fertilizer is 28% and there are also other ingredients. But, this mix wasn’t as strong as some other mixes.
Meanwhile, fertilizer man had taken off most of his clothes as he waited for the ambulance. Two police cars arrived to join the mayhem.
In those short 30 minutes we had a semi that drove into the farm to deliver feed. I moved the fire hose so he wouldn’t run over it. Then we had a truck with cattle trailer come through. The milkman arrived followed by the UPS man. So the barn driveway was a major thorough fare.
The paramedics arrived and determined the fertilizer guy didn’t need to go to the hospital. He was washed down again. They gave him a sweatshirt, a pair of sweat pants and told to go home and shower well.
After all the lights and sirens left, fertilizer man stood around and rehashed what happened with Son #2 and Farmer. He felt fine and didn’t seem to be phased a bit.
Seeing that they had it all under control and Praise God for his protection again, I went home.
At that time I could take my pulse by the pain beating in my mouth. All that running around and lifting the heavy pails, riled up my tooth.
I washed my hands and settled into the recliner when I detected a smell like when I dye my hair. I looked at my new jeans and really cute top that I had on from going to the dentist. Traces of dried mud laced with fertilizer were smeared on the bottom of my pants. I couldn’t see where my shirt had been dirtied, but I could smell it. So it all went into the washing machine.
I think I just might have to replace my outfit, on the farm’s dime, of course. I wouldn’t want to risk the danger of toxins left on my clothing. After all, it’s the safe responsible thing to do.
