“BRAND NEW” OLD STUFF
It seems it’s trendy these days to go “Retro” and
that “everything that’s old is new again” (except me)! Now those that
know me, know I’ve never been one to follow trends! I’ve always “marched
to the beat of my own drum” and have always thought for myself and been
myself. If there is a present trend I
may happen to like, I will almost always wait until it’s not trendy anymore and
passé’ then do it! (That reminds me, I have to get to the barber
to get a trim for my “Beatle Haircut”)!! I was recently very surprised and
pleased to see that the “RFD Channel” was added to Direct TV! One of my
favorite programs on this “Farmer’s Channel” is a weekly program called “Classic
Tractor Fever”. Many trendy people
these days are buying old tractors and restoring them to show at antique and
classic tractor shows all over the country. Of course being on the farm my
whole life, these old tractors are very interesting to me. I wish I had the
money to buy one and restore it, not to show, but to go! I told Tim that it’s
interesting that some of the very same tractors we see on that program that are
only used in classic tractor shows are the ones we are still using today
on the farm! You can check out the pics below of the present tractors around
here! Out of 5 tractors, 2 of them were made in the early 1950’s and 1 of them
in the late 1930’s! All 3 older classic
tractors are International Farmalls because that’s what we had on the farm
growing up. Every few years Tim paints the old tractors and reapplies new decals.
Most people would probably conclude that we are forced to use all those old
tractors because of lack of money to buy newer models. Not so! Tim has 2 other
tractors that are much newer and “modern”! The real reason the 3 old classic
tractors are still used here everyday is because it reminds Tim and I of our
growing up “kid years”! He bought the very same tractor makes that we had when
we were kids! (See pic below). It gives us a really great nostalgic “high” to
get on the old 1950’s built tractors and work the fields! For instance, the
other day, I hay racked one of the clover fields to bale hay. After using one
of the newer tractors, I told Tim I should have used the old “M” instead! It’s
amazing to me that something built over 60 years ago is still going strong
everyday! I guess in those days they knew how to build stuff that lasted! It’s
also amazing to me that parts for these old Farmalls are still readily
available and relatively low in cost. I guess many other people use these same
model old tractors too! (I’ll bet for the same nostalgic reasons we do
too)! One thing that strikes me is how
simple they are mechanically compared to the equipment of today! During the
times when I start to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of today’s world, I
either go out to look over the old Farmalls, or go look under the hood of my
brother-in-laws 1956 Chevy. I then am reminded that in the “old days” things
were much simpler! I mean, good grief, when I check the oil in my 1993 Diesel
Dually pickup truck, I can’t even see most the massive engine because its
hidden under plastic covers and wires! And don’t even get me started on the
subject of phone bills! In the old days the phone bill was a simple one page affair.
Now it’s a ream of paper with confusing numbers, etc.! My goodness, even watching TV these days is
complicated with all the trendy temperature, news headlines, station, and a
bunch of other garbage constantly scrolling all over the screen! It’s getting
difficult for me to see the original program! I blame all this trendy stuff on Democrats
who are the basis of all the present evil in the world! Ooops, I’m starting to
rant and rave again! Oh well just consider the last few sentences as a “Rave” Review
like they write for movies and plays…
