Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Great Grain Wagon Redemption

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

7 comments:

Bif said...

Can't wait to see the final project.

I must say, though, use caution in that whole "I told you so" thing.

Instead think, "How fortuitous that we have this large hulk of an object that now will be perfect for this project."

:D

EvenSong said...

Before and after photos,PLEASE! of the great V-box contraption metamorphosis...

Jill said...

Ooo, I don't think I would even think the words "I told you so" in any way or shape or form. :)

Vivian, Apollo's Mom said...

So where's the picture of the Great Grain Wagon? I wish Pete would find alternative uses for the stuff he's got stashed all over our 2 acres. Anyone need a WPA chisel? The insides of a plasma TV (there' COPPER in there!)? How about a tiller or 2 extra defunct lawnmowers? I could go on and on....

Clancy said...

Love it. I tend to collect potentially useful objects myself, and many do end up useful - just takes some time.

amy324 said...

Yeah, I've been on the Melissa side of that situation too many times to count. When I'm on the highway now and I see some guy headed home with his new "treasure" on a flatbed, I think, "Well isn't his wife going to be happy."

Anonymous said...

I do the same as Amy324 - "I wonder what he's gonna hear when he gets that home?"

We used to haul bulk grain in a converted stainless steel fertilizer spreader. As "exciting" as this was, I had to give it up when the cost of the bulk began to exceed the cost of bagged. Still don't have a satifactory explanation of the cost increase, either!