December 2022 - 27

NOTES FROM THE FARM
A chilling post-Halloween moment on the farm
JERRY MILLS
Mills Apple Farm
jerry@millsapplefarm.com
the branches so I hope I can keep them
compact by judicious pruning as the
trees reach maturity.
Gosh, this year is passing swiftly.
A new high-altitude Gillison's pruning
tower arrived. There was nothing wrong
with the old Brownie. It has served us
well for 30 years with the only problem
being a tired engine. However, it did have
an open, unprotected workstation and I
decided it was time to move in out of the
cold winds.
The workstation on the Gillison is
completely enclosed around the lower
half of the body and there is heat and cold
ventilation at the bottom.
If I can build a partial enclosure at the
top to break cold winds and keep in some
of the heat, it will make it a perfect winter
pruning machine.
This new tower can reach twice
as high as the Brownie which is the
justification for purchasing it. We need
to be able to open the interior of our
pecan trees. The ones I planted 30 years
ago are already close to 100 feet tall. Nut
production occurs toward the end of
Carpenters are working on the interior
of the " new barn, " installing public
restrooms. Next step will be a new
commercial kitchen. After that will come
another shed to house tractors and new
pecan harvesting equipment.
In the meantime there are orchards to
care for.
I had a spooky experience the other
night. I worked in the new barn until
after seven. When I went to go home,
I stepped out the door, took out my
telephone and turned on its light, reached
in and turned off the barn lights, shut the
door, stepped away from the barn and
the light on the telephone went out. Dead
battery.
No problem, I thought. My night
vision will pop on. The only problem, it
was the darkest night I think I have ever
experienced and our yard light was out.
There was no moon. Clouds obscured
stars, I was on the back side of the
building and no neighbors' lights were
visible. Total blackness.
I reached back and felt a wooden
pallet leaning against the building. I
A view of Mills Apple Farm from the top of the new Gillisons pruning tower in Marine,
Illinois, Nov. 11. Photo: Jerry Mills
slowly turned around and inched along
until I felt the cooler compressor case.
I knew the power pole for the building
should be next.
You must realize that people with longterm
Parkinson's disease have poor sense
of balance, and none without a visual
reference. I can't even put on a thick pullover
without falling.
Anyway, soon the end of the building
arrived. My car was parked about thirty
feet east across an uneven driveway and up
a berm.
If I could head in that direction I might
find it, but the minute I let go of the
building I knew I was in trouble. Nothing
to do but reach back, find the building and
use it lower my body to the ground and
start out on all fours.
Crawling was slow and painful. Large
gravel covers that part of the driveway. It is
hard on knees. Luckily, I had gloves on. I
felt my way along, hoping I would not veer
too much and miss the car.
Just as I was crawling up the berm
headed slightly left of the car, I heard a
voice and my son Lowell calling. Marilyn
was afraid something had happened and
called him.
I was saved! .... We have got to get the
yard light fixed and install more door
lights. FGN
FGN | DECEMBER 2022 | 27
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December 2022

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