We're still here in Texas..... one more week before we head to Mexico....
But these photos will mean something to only a couple of folks... Bill's daughters.
Back around 1970 Bill's dad, Jack, bought a Ford tractor. He lived in Farmington, NM.... he didn't farm.... but the tractor had a blade so he could remove snow from his (and any neighbors) driveways. Jack passed away in 1998 and Bill bought the tractor from the estate. Bill had flown out from Ohio to help his sisters settle everything... ended up buying a truck at the local Ford dealership... he rented a U-Haul trailer, loaded the tractor and headed back to Ohio.
Bill already had a John Deere tractor we used on the farm... but he just couldn't let his Dad's tractor be sold to just anyone. He found a place to park it under a shed... and used it now and then. But... life moved on... life got kind of complicated between 1998 and 2000.... and in 2001, Bill and started our life of full-time RVing.
The tractor sat in the shed. We've had a couple of rental agents .... one attempted to use the tractor, but managed to do more damage than use it effectively. It sat there... we'd go back to Ohio at least once a year... Bill would check out the tractor... and we'd watch it deteriorate a bit more each year.
It needs someone to use it... someone to love it and care about it.
Our Texas daughter got married and moved out in the boonies.... planned to make a small homestead. Hmmmm... sounds good. This past year our Texas son-in-law took a job in WVA.... less than a hundred miles from our farm. On one trip back to Texas he loaded Jack's tractor and an implement or two on a trailer and hauled it home.
It gets better....
This son-in-law finished the WVA job and started his own business in Texas. He does a lot of jobs with gas/oil companies... but also does maintenance along the right-of-ways where the pipe lines are.
Aha.... yes, he bought a lot of other equipment... but....
Jack's tractor was equipped with a roll-bar and other stuff to make it OSHA compliant... and...
wouldn't Jack love it?
Yep! That' Bill....
Driving his Dad's tractor... (along with the bush hog) to do some work here at our daughter's place.
This tractor really doesn't have many hours on it... I mean... how many snows/driveways did Jack plow in New Mexico? So it should have a lot of life left in it.
I know Bill is happy to see this big blue guy at work again... and I'll bet Jack is too!
The Happy Ending!
That's All For Today!
A lot of dads probably are cheering in heaven. I bet my Uncle Ray is.
ReplyDeleteIt is great that Bill can put that tractor to good use. I like a story with a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI love to see those classic old Ford tractors still doing work. We had a small Ford tractor on our place for thirty years that we used for mowing, tilling, blading, and anything else that needed done.
ReplyDeleteWE ha dthe same tractor in Norway, equipped with a front loader - for constructing our house and...later for snow removal.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story and a nice happy ending
ReplyDeleteAlways a little sad to see an old tractor sitting unused. Good thing for the "roll bar" too, I can name at least a couple instances of men getting killing from tractors flipping over on them. Just terrifying.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool story!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story! I'm sure that Jack is smiling down knowing he is still being thought about.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
That's a great tractor story!
ReplyDeleteI really like that tractor!!!
ReplyDelete