[AT] Portland

[Francis Robinson]

    Home from Portland, tired still, but pleased with the level of visiting. 
They could see us coming with our yellow and red "gypsy wagon" that doubled 
as a #$%& CUB hauler and sleeping quarters. Next year I hope to add a 
bathroom and maybe a large family room...   :-)
    I tend to go to Portland for different reasons than many and different 
reasons than my first trip there. I understand that they do have some kind 
of tractor show there (I made one quick pass through the Gravaly tents and 
diagonally across the tractor display). I also hear that they have a tiny 
swap meet of some kind (but I never got there at all). I did do a 5 minute 
walk through in the Trading Post on Saturday PM but didn't buy anything. We 
spent maybe an hour total looking at the flea market stuff. We did get in on 
the important stuff... Lots of visiting, eating the annual pint of ice-cream 
and watching "The Classics" in the grandstands on Friday night. By far the 
most important thing to us was seeing old friends and making new ones. OK, 
forgive me for missing lots of names here but I said that I was still 
tired...   ;-)   Folks like Spencer (thanks Spencer), George & Marilyn 
Willer, The great Dotson clan (not a single fire this very hot year but Gary 
did manage to fire up a gas lantern on Saturday night), Steve Sewell (who I 
managed to beat in a foot race), Janet & Bigdog, Brice, Mr. & Mrs. "Dewey" 
(I'm not even going to try to spell his last name while I'm this tired), 
Herb & Barbera Metz and others whose names I just can't pull up right now as 
well as some more recent folks. I have said it before... anyone that goes to 
Portland and does not spend at least an evening around an ATIS campfire (or 
lantern) just has not been to Portland...

    While we were nearly in a head-on collision before we got past our own 
property line on the way to Portland the trip home uneventful. So quiet that 
I could have sneaked in a nice nap had I not been driving.   :-)   The near 
head-on was with a drunken fool I recognized who shouldn't drink since he 
operates in "full stupid" mode while sober... He is the certified idiot for 
at least three villages.   ;-)
    I think we will try to make the "SCRAP" show next week if I can get 
enough done this week. Visiting with friends is just too important to keep 
putting off... I've put off too much for too long already. What else is 
still coming up tractor show wise in eastern IN or western OH this fall?


--
"farmer"

Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net