[AT] Portland... so much to do, so little time

[Dean Vinson]

I zipped over to the Portland show on Wednesday just for the day, and 
although too brief it was still a lot of fun.  Enjoyed brief visits with 
Steve Sewell, Bear Hood, Gene Dotson, Ron Chew, Brice Adams, and Spencer 
Yost, but missed many more.  Would have liked to catch up with Farmer 
and George Willer again, and saw George's Ford and the beginnings of 
Farmer's assortment of stuff, but didn't cross their paths.  And 
couldn't stay for the dinner with the whole gang at the Mexican place, 
or for any of the shimstock generation that likely followed.

Didn't buy hardly anything, either, although there was sure a lot of 
neat stuff to look at.  What I think was a wide-front Case DC caught my 
eye in the swapmeet area, although it was labeled a VAC.  And there was 
a flat gorgeous old IH dump truck.  Should have bought the old Dupont 
plunger-handle blasting generator just on general principle.  Who hasn't 
wanted one of those things ever since they were a kid?

It's tough being tractorless, though.  Makes it hard to justify buying 
parts.  I darn near came home with a very nice early-style air intake 
cap for an H or M Farmall, not sure which, just in case I buy one of 
those tractors someday and it needs a cap.  But that seemed a stretch.

In the display area I drooled over a narrow-front JD 2520 Powershift 
with dual remotes and side console... bet the owner wouldn't trade it 
for a lot of gold, although if I had any I'd have given it a try.

And I miss my old Super M more than ever.  That was a heck of a good 
tractor, really in fine shape, which I appreciate more and more in 
hindsight.

Gene looked good on the Case LA running one of the Girard's old 
separators.  That's a fine sounding tractor, and lots of it.  His VAIW 
was flat-out cool, too.

Next year I hope to have more time, but even a short day at Portland is 
better than none.  Thanks to all who make it such a memorable show!

Dean Vinson  --  Dayton Ohio
<http://my.voyager.net/~vinsond/>