For once, it wasn't my fault

Lookee what bigger brother done went and done.



An' this was after I told him that track had too much slack in it and needed to be run out...



It was a little too muddy to mess with yesterday after this happened, but later this week when it dries it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get it back on. It should be a lot easier than putting 'em back on the Caterpiller. We'll see what happens.

Birthday Boy

Well, it was a year ago today that my sweetie and I spent the evening helping Lucy bring her pride and joy into the world.



I think he's growing up to be a good'un, he has a little bit of an attitude, but he seems to be growing out of that.




He just looks like a troublemaker don't he?

Corn, 'maters, 'taters and so forth

I finally broke down and plowed my little garden spot today. I must admit I feel kinda stupid plowing a little plot that isn't even a quarter acre with an 80hp tractor, but it's the only one I have that will pull the bog harrow.

And to make me look even more white trash than usual, the Ferguson is completely naked. I have all of the sheetmetal off so we can paint it.

As to why I'm using a Bog Harrow for the garden, I quit using a turning plow a couple of years ago because I was never any good with it anyway, plus it just adds another step. The bog is heavy even to do the work of a turning plow and it pretty well pulverizes everything anyway. Saves me a few steps in other words.

I used the Deutz and a drag harrow to finish with, so hopefully sometime tomorrow, I will be planting corn....

One of these days, I will take the dozer and clean up around the old spring where my Granddad used to have a watermelon patch (because it's one of the few level places on the farm), get me a little Tuffbilt, or an Allis G, or a Farmall and go hawg wild and plant a whole mess 'o corn. Might even make a dollar or two off of it, or if gas prices keep agoin' up I may go into the moonshining bidness so I afford to drive to work.

A day late

General Lee's Farewell to the Army of Northern Virginia

After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.

I need not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles who have remained steadfast to the last that I have consented to this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuance of the contest, I determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of the agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged.

You may take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his blessing and protection.

With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.

As if we need even more junk...

I brought home two pickup loads today. TC, who was kind enough to help me bring my plunder home, had about half on his truck and I carried the rest in my truck.

We looked like Steptoe & Son driving down the road. Scary. What did I buy? Well, it wasn't a baler... The Case inline brought $5100, which isn't bad considering that new Hesstons start around 13k for the cheap one.

No, I bought tractor tires and rims, more specifically, I bought a bunch of flotation tires on wide rims that were a kind of wholesale deal. All I wanted was the three big tires, but I had to buy all of it, which ended up being a total of 15 tires, three of which were rear 14.9-24's on Ferguson rims. The rest of them were implement wheels and tires. I called a friend who might be interested in part of them and he agreed to go in with me on them as he wanted the rear tires and rims and I didn't, so we split that little deal. I had so damn many tires in the back and on TC's truck that I brought two of the flotation tires home with me in the cab.

The rest of the crap I bought was a pile of seven or eight lawnmower engines for Bigger Brother. He only wanted one... That one being the horizontal shaft Briggs, but like the tires, you had to take the lot.

I also ended up with two very nice Delta Truck boxes, one for me and one for Bigger Brother. Hunnert bucks apiece. Those things are 2-250 at TSC, so I was proud of that little deal. I ended up spending four hundred bucks today, but I'll get over half of back as I was playing proxy bidder for Bigger Brother.

Anyway, on to Tractor porn.

Here is one of the rows of sale items. I was interested in the big orange gravity box to the left, but it quickly went waaaaay out of my reach. I have no need for a gravity box, but it had a nice six ton running gear under it that would've made a great hay wagon.



This "little" jewell brought $3200, but it was a no-sale. I would have been very interested in it, if it had a cab or a roll bar or something on it. I dislike being up there in the nosebleed seats on an open station tractor... It was a good looking machine though.



I was thinking about bidding on the little Avery with the funky loader until I realized I'm too fat to fit between the seat and steering wheel.


This was another no-sale, but the owner said he'd take $1000 for it. If I had one of those fabled money trees, I'd have bought it to play in the garden with, just because it's kind of an oddball with that weird vacuum cylinder in the front. TC said it is some sort of assist for the "armstrong" lift.


One of three NH 273's there, one was a no-sale and I think the other two brought between $900 and $1000. All three were good looking standard balers (no Supersweep), but I think one of them did have the optional long tongue with the jointed drive shaft.