But she was learning what people needed.
And she was beginning to see that the three-dollar machines might support something more dependable than an occasional repair project.
Then the county's only small commercial pea-shelling service announced it would close.
The operator was retiring.
The building needed repairs.
And the old equipment had become too expensive to maintain.
The news spread quickly through the farming community because several growers depended on the service during the busiest weeks of harvest. Without it, they would have to transport peas much farther or find enough labor to process the crop themselves.
Hazel heard about the closure at the feed store.
She stood beside a shelf of animal feed while two farmers discussed the problem.
One shook his head.
"I've got two acres coming ready, and I can't shell all that by hand."
The other sighed.
"Guess you'll be selling the pods cheap."
Hazel felt her heart quicken.
She thought about the small wooden sheller.
Then the large drum.
Then the third machine.
She knew her current equipment couldn't handle commercial quantities.
Not safely.
Not consistently.
But if the larger drum could be repaired and the third sheller adapted for a different task, perhaps the packing shed could process more without sacrificing quality.
She drove home immediately.
Wy was working on a tractor when she arrived.
"Uncle Wy!"
He looked up.
"What happened?"
Hazel stopped beside him.
"That big sheller."
He closed his eyes.
"Oh, Lord."
She laughed.
"Please."
He set down his wrench.
"What about it?"
"I want to finish it."
Wy sighed.
Then looked toward the packing shed.
For several seconds, he seemed thoughtful.
Finally, he asked, "How much work are you expecting it to do?"
Hazel took a breath.
"More than Grandma's garden."
Wy studied her.
Then nodded slowly.
"All right."
Her eyes widened.
"Really?"
He smiled.
"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it properly. We'll get the drum inspected and make a real decision about what it needs."
Hazel grinned.
Then hugged him.
Wy laughed.
"Don't thank me yet."
She stepped back.
He continued.
"You might discover the repair costs more than the work is worth."
Hazel nodded.
"I know."
But she was smiling.
Because for the first time, she wasn't repairing the machine simply to see whether it could turn.
She was trying to solve a problem people in the county were actually facing.
The repair took another two weeks.