Phil spent many hours in the cockpit...of the tractor. He tilled lots of fields. On Tuesday, he and Becky laid black plastic mulch for peppers. 
They went to Ohio for farm supplies on Wed. afternoon. Many were making hay and we bought the first strawberries of the season! On Thursday, Sue helped us plant 4,000 peppers and eggplants. 
The next morning deer, perhaps a doe and fawn judging by the footprints, had eaten the tops of 100 plants. While Phil planted sweet corn and prepared ground for tomatoes, Becky put up deer fence using broken tomato stakes, twine, plastic lids and mylar tape just to let those deer know we're watching. After Kate came home, we planted 250 cabbage. Then the tractor battery blew up! 
If you've never experienced that, it is a hydrogen explosion and it was loud like a shotgun going off. Phil had just climbed into the tractor seat to start it and turned the key, which made the spark that caused the explosion. He was stunned, but nobody was hurt. Our attempt at a hydrogen powered vehicle didn't work...we'll stick to diesel! A John Deere battery in a red tractor doesn't work. Saturday, after buying a new battery, Becky, Kate and Sue transplanted some tomato, cabbage, and lettuce plugs for later plantings. We planted 550 lettuce into the field. We laid plastic mulch for tomatoes, 12 rows nearly 400 feet long, creating a dust storm. Then it rained...0.7"!
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