Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Oops. He did it again.

 On our great jaunt to the reservation last Friday, things happened that I did not tell you about, and the biggest thing was that as we drove home, suddenly my husband's head whipped around like it was on a swivel. 

I get an icky feeling when he ogles like that. I'll never be able to break him of that habit. He's a man. I mean, really, it's not totally his fault, being that the object of his lust was just openly exposed in the front yard of a house for heaven's sake.

 "Quit!" I said, 

He did not listen, and pulled off the road to turn back. 

I sighed. 

He headed back and stopped in the driveway. There she was in all her naked glory. 

Adopting my most reasonable tones, I pointed out that he did not need another tractor. He pointed out that it had a winch on it. It was a pulling tractor. A work horse. 


The old man came out of his house, and the talking commenced. It went on for a good long time. So long that I finally got out of the car to listen. I could tell that Tim was quite serious about this old girl. She is a 1956 International 350, with wheel weights and chains, plus that winch, that had him drooling. It has a 3 point hitch and if he can find a bucket for the front, it will do everything he ever wanted a tractor to do. 


The old man still had a full head of thick black hair despite his lined and weathered brown face. It was impossible to tell how old he was for sure, but I had a feeling that he was quite a bit older than we would guess, since one side his face drooped, indicating that he'd had a stroke, but he was tall and rail thin, and he stood ramroad straight while he answered Tim's questions. 

 I took the two pictures that Tim wanted. I got the owner's name and phone numbers into my phone. "I'll call you Tractor Jeff," He gave me his wife's number and told me to call her Tractor Darlene. We said our goodbyes, and once again, we were on the road. 

I knew that Tim wanted that tractor and I knew that he wanted it bad. He doesn't ever make snap decisions on things though. He came home and read about it for most of the rest of the night. He did price comparisons. He read what other owners had to say about theirs. Based on all of that, it was a good price for a very reliable old work horse. 

I asked him how he would get it home. Our big truck is waiting on a new transfer case at the moment. 

"I don't know," was the answer, but it didn't take long for him to figure out how he was going to do it. My nephew has a trailer we could borrow. My brother in law has a big truck to hook it up to. Since it is a wet week predicted, Dave will not be busy in the hayfield. He's also pretty interested in this 'new' toy. 

So, we called Tractor Jeff back and asked to come take another look at the tractor. Tim had a couple questions. He also wanted ot hear it run and to drive it. 

Tractor Jeff was pleased as punch to see us again. He'd had a lot of people stop, but he said that when they found out it was a 66 year old tractor, everyone lost interest. I laughed. People do not understand that these old tractors are built to run. They have no computers to them at all. Whatever goes wrong can be fixed. The parts are still made. Tim would pick an old tractor any day of the week. (Luckily, he would pick his old wife any day of the week as well). 

Tim drove the tractor away. Tractor Jeff watched William walking back from the car. He'd gone to get  his water. He took a swallow of coffee and said, "I was wondering where you got off to." I said, "He was a bit worried about his pet bears. They're not chained up." Mirth bubbled up in Jeff's dark eyes, but he showed no hint of it on his face. He said, "Well, I've only got the two of them now," in a serious voice. I said, "They haven't eaten a kid in quite a while, have they?" Jeff got a musing look on his face. "Not since the one grandchild, but he always was the slowest one." We all laughed as Tim headed back on the tractor. 

Tomorrow, we'll go back one last time to get it. 

One the way home we stopped and had ice cream on a pirate ship . William had never been before, and it was a nice day to sit on top…


...and look out over the marina. 

...although the heavy clouds made our view very different. 

      

24 comments:

  1. There is an Australian gambling related expression, Come in spinner. You got me. I thought a naked woman.

    Wheel weights? On the front wheels for steep hills perhaps. I remember the International tractors sans the sticking out bit at the front. Winch? They were around in my very young years.

    I'm sure the tractor will be very useful in your gardens.

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    1. This tractor will be the woods tractor. It's really too large for any garden I currently have, although it might have family use in the hayfields, which would be great.

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  2. In my other life, husband found an old (I think it was a '50 model) vintage Case tractor in a field with a young tree growing up through it. We bought it for a song, completely restored in and took it to antique tractor pulls where it consistently won prizes. Plus it was a valued working tractor. My 58 year old son has it now.

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    1. It is hard not to be impressed by these old tractors. Once they are running, with a little care, they will literally run forever.

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  3. You have both worked hard all your lives so you might as well get the "treasures" you want if you can afford them. A practical "treasure" since he knows what to do with it and how to keep it running.
    What "treasures" do you search for Debby?

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    1. Oh Ellen. I got to go to the UK. That will always be a treasure to me. I plan on going back, too. My favorite treasures are for my kids and grands. If I am treasure hunting for myself, it is generally a book. I do love to read. That's a hard one, really.

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    2. I have an answer: I treasure time. I cherish the time with my grandchildren. I cherish my time alone. I love scrabble games with my sister. I love working with my husband (most of the time). I adore sleeping until I'm ready to wake up.

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  4. I had a while other picture in mind until to wrote that he turned around. I mean, i do catch myself looking but I don’t turn around. Lol

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  5. I can't imagine ever wanting something like a tractor, so that feeling is a little alien to me, but hey, if it makes Tim happy and it will be useful for you both, why not?!

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    1. I try to stay out of it. He's claiming that this tractor will be so useful that he will sell one of the others. Not holding my breath. He said the same thing when he bought his truck.

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  6. There is nothing like a useful bargain - and Tim knows a good deal when it catches his eye. I mean, look at his most treasured find Debby.
    Sorry, grammar. Look at his most treasured find, Debby. ;) Happy 4th (and 6th even - where has this year disappeared to?)

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    1. It is zipping by. I still owe you a letter.

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    2. (Embarrassing to say out loud.)

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  7. If it looks like Uncle Ray's tractor, it's OK by me. Uncle Ray farmed with horses until he bought that Ford tractor just after WWII. He was so proud of it. Just like the horses, he rested it on Sunday.

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    1. What a nice memory, Joanne! We have three old tractors, and Tim loves them. It is a cool thing to place them in their time and realize what a boon they were to farmers!

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  8. I just love that people still have these old beasts and other people are interested in them. Says a lot about the current disposable societal attitudes, doesn't it? I can't imagine a 2022 tractor being around in 2092.

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    1. Everything is much more complex now, and in my opinion, they are designed to wear out. It does seem that the newer tractors have many more breakdowns and when they do break down, it seems to require specialized mechanics. Tim likes to be able to work on his own things, which is why he loves his 40 year old truck and his old tractors.

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  9. Pirate is envious!! But we don't have enough land!!

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  10. One of the great benefits of where we will be moving to is that there is my sister and two nephews living in the same area (across the road, down the road, and up the hill from us). We bought a couple tractor pulled implements five years ago, and we have three tractors. If anybody needs anything, they know where to get it from. That sense of community is a rare thing in today's world. If Pirate were close, he could borrow a tractor any time he wanted!

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  11. Those are the only tractors I can drive these days. I can't even start the new ones.

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