In my opinion, a good farmer needs a junk pile and some old broken down equipment in exactly the same way that a politician needs an audience. But Melissa didn’t agree with me, at least until recently.
A few years ago, I brought home a 6 ton V-box grain wagon on an extremely old and worn out running gear. The tires were so old and so flat that they actually flaked away entirely over the mile I towed it along behind my truck. What little rubber was left made some really nice piles along our driveway as it clanged along behind my truck as I crested the hill. When I got my new purchase (yes, I actually paid money for it) down by our house, I was met at our gate by my lovely wife Melissa, eyebrows down and hands on her hips.
Uh oh.
The questions began.
“Where did you get that piece of junk, how come it’s making so much noise and WHY is it now residing in our yard?”
I answered that it was a good deal and that although the wagon frame and tires were in poor condition, the V-box itself was in excellent condition, though a touch rusty.
“You paid MONEY for that ??? “
Ayup.
“Why ? We don’t currently grow any grain and have no plans to do so ! Do I want to know how much ?”
At least the answer to the last question was easy.
No.
For the last six years it has been unceremoniously parked in a corner of our equipment yard and every single time we’ve had a “discussion” about something, the old V-box has made it foresquare to the center of the conversation.
A few days ago, Melissa made the suggestion that it would be a good idea to save our backs and investigate purchasing bulk feed now that all the horses were in one place. At least, it would be a good idea if only we had some place to store it.
Well honey hush and zippedy-do-dah-eh !
We DO have some place to store it ! Or rather, we WILL have some place to store it just as soon as I can get some railroad ties together to make a foundation for the good old V-box to sit on and gather together some tin to make a roof for it.
Stay tuned for chapter two in “The Great Grain Wagon Redemption”.
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Moe, Apollo, Elfin, Ivan, Grand and Leo
Homer enjoying a good roll . . .
. . . and sporting his new look as a pinto
Sebastian, Renny, Wiz, Dutch, Murphy and Sam
Clay, Chili and Fuzzy
Thomas and Hemi
Levendi
Tiny, Johnny and Rampal
Johnny, Toledo, Kennedy and Rocky
Elfin and Grand
Winston, George, Chimano, Fonzi, Faune and Gus
