We live on a hill, in an area called Springbrook - as you can imagine, the area got its name from the springs that pop up whenever it rains.

Well one that normally pops up has done so, but rather than a nice trickling stream I have a gushing monster. Normally a drainage ditch carries the water away. Now, it blocked up the gravel with dirt washed down along the torrent. The runs on over a wall and floods my pole barn...

So I tried digging the crap out of the drain - no go.

Oh well, I thought, I will get out the tractor and dig out a ditch to divert the flow.
I hooked the heaviest implement I have to the back (a 5' flail mower), and the front-loader on the front, and started digging out a ditch. One load - ok, Two loads - ok .. then try to back up the hill to move along for a third dig .. no way, the tractor will just not back up - kick in the 4 wheel lock -- still stuck.
Lots of maneuvering -- still stuck.

So I thought, oh well, I will just have to go forwards, along the earth at the back of the wall.

The tractor is now firmly embeded up to its front axle in mud. The ground was just so soft it sank right in. If I try to maneuvre at all it slides sideways, closer to the wall (and a 5' drop into the back of the pole barn.

I am going to have to find someone with a tacked vehicle (bulldozer) to pull it out... and the water is still pouring around the pole barn (or wait till spring and the earth dries out ) Fortunately, I have one neighbor with an excavation business (and lots of big, tracked toys) and another who sells tractors (including BIG ones).

To make things more interesting I am due to leave for work on the 6:10am flight to SFO tomorrow...

Guess I know what I am doing this weekend...

crap!!!!

First thing I tried -- the problem is that is on a slope (all our property is on a slope!), sideways on that slope, and when I lift the front it starts it slide down the slope, to that wall and 5' drop -- a couple of feet  away.

I am not worried about tearing up the landscape, this part is rough pasture type of land anyway, so running a rotortiller over the ground and spreading a bit of grass sees will be all it takes to fix that up.

I'm a bit more worried about the tractor pushing the wall down then falling and going through the back of the pole barn. That would all take a bit more cleaning up...

Let me know if you don't get it out, maybe I can run over and try and pull it with my PU.

Nick