[AT] Portland Set Up Reconsidered

Dean Vinson dean at vinsonfarm.net
Fri Feb 16 18:27:13 PST 2007


> I  read this   topic  and   well I  was   befuddled---

Eddie, for me the real question is whether or not it's worth using a
vacation day or two and making the two-hour drive to get over there.  Lots
of folks come much farther than that, of course.  There are several really
nice shows closer to my home than Portland, and if I need parts I've had at
least as much success finding them at local salvage yards or on eBay as I
have in the swapmeet at Portland.  So why drive over there every year?  (Or
as often as I can, anyway).

The answer is the sense of community.  I've met a lot of folks from this
list at Portland, and it was always a lot of fun to hang around at the
official ATIS gathering place, put faces with names, catch up on news since
the last time, see various peoples' tractors all assembled more or less in
one spot, etc.  And the ATIS spot was a good one, close to other interesting
things going on, with some shade for the heat and some shelters not too far
away for when it rained, lots of people passing by all the time.  The ATIS
group talks up the Portland show pretty well, generates some excitement,
makes it an event, encourages people to come.  Fun to go be part of that.

I know it may not be possible or even desirable to go back to the way it
was.  Growth and change are inevitable and often very healthy and good.  I'm
glad to see the show organizers working hard to provide more active
tractoring stuff, and am sure they don't need me to be armchair
quarterbacking about one little detail.

Still, if those healthy changes make it harder for the ATIS group to have
the sense of community and belonging at the Portland show that has long been
there in the past, it'll certainly cut down on my reasons for going.  I have
no doubt it'll always be a good show, just maybe not as personally special
to me.

Dean Vinson
Dayton, Ohio
www.vinsonfarm.net





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