Hands Off, part 1

you you I am George small that's Charlie auto in the ambulance Charlie was my neighbor he got his hand in a picture this afternoon now he's dead you Charlie was just cleaning out his picker now he's gone he was picking corn just like all the rest of us are convinced him this field of mine my farm is five miles west of Clinton Iowa it's a pretty good farm this land next to mine belongs to my sister Jane her husband well I guess jeans more than his sister he's a friend too she want to know about Charlie it's nice when I've got something on my mind like this to swing into her place like most good friends James a good listener she doesn't seem to be around the house probably off with the barn yes the corn looks pretty good this ball and my hands help to make it grow and I can't help thinking about how many things the farmer uses his hands for No yes for all of these and of course proposing gates too it's about chore time and gene must be somewhere out here in the barnyard I was looking after heifers she takes care of her cows like they were her own babies she picks out the names room too I don't know where she gets the ideas here is gentle Genie mincing mini sad i'd sell adoring Alice agile Aggie and beloved Becky and here is Jorge and his smelly old pipe which reminds me to getting some better tobacco for Christmas it isn't the right time but I have to tell Jane about Charlie Otto of course she's shocked to hear it here how when his hand got caught Charlie braced to pull and he's late went into it's hard to believe it really happened then I remember others to one was the fellow over in Mercer County Illinois Don homes he farms near the town of joy Don's neighbor ray of davison was helping him it was a field of heavy corn but the picker was still set for small corn stalks have been jamming up behind the snapper rollers where the ears are snapped off Don went back to clean out another mess it's quicker with the picker running and shelved the stops away from the snipers into the elevator one loose talk it when been fasted and Don could let go Ray was quick all right he turned the machine in Reverse Don had been quick to but I guess those talks win faster than anybody can let go one more turn and Don got out not all in though onehand state yes you lose a lot more than just the hand then that's enough you'll be without it every day and every minute for the rest of your life I know George tries to be careful around machinery but is that enough every one of us thinks it can't happen to me be more than careful George you need those hands I am careful though and I tell herself but I know she means it when she tells me to be careful there are other things in the fall besides working in the fields I'm ready for some hours in the woods but I suppose all squirrels are ready to and there's a weather to think about but the news won't let me forget about corn te they're reporting about a young fellow named Merlin Erickson farms with his father Wesley over near Oakland Nebraska getting on the afternoon Berlin was out picking they had 80 acres in corn ears were snapping off ok clogs hadn't been causing much trouble but the back end of the picker was catching up a lot of stalks that might cause trouble he stopped the picker no he thought you might as well keep it going he wouldn't be there anything that's moving body tripped Merlin turned it off too late another hand gone you you