[AT] tractor vacation

[Ken Knierim]

Hi,
    I just got back from a rather heavy vacation of tractor-related
stuff. I haven't had enough time with my hobbies lately and I may have
gone a little overboard. At the risk of boring everyone...

I drove to Montana to visit my folks and picked up a wide front axle
for my 1940 Case DH I'm restoring. I drove in the "new-to-me" '97
Dodge Cummins-powered 2500 extended cab longbed I mentioned earlier on
this list. I'm happy with the truck as well; thanks for all the
recommendations. Gobs of power and averaged 20-24 MPG.

 Now that I have the axle I need to find a set of tires and rims as
what I've got isn't going to work. If anyone has some 16" rims that
will fit a Case D series and is willing to part with them, please let
me know. The fella I got the axle from also volunteered to let me see
the Memke (sp?) collection if we got some more time. That sounds like
it would take a day for that alone and we didn't have the time this
time around.

While I was in Montana I got a chance to visit the big JD collection
in Wolf Point. Well worth the time. A link for those unfamiliar:

http://www.travelmt.com/mt_sites_10099_John+Deere+Tractor+Museum.html

Along the way I got a chance to visit a number of different local
museums and checked out a number of the old tractors and such they
have in them. Too many to list but all very interesting. Then I got a
chance to help Dad overhaul his "new" (to him) JD round baler. It was
my first shot at wrenching on a round baler; we put new belts on it
and overhauled the pickup head for it. Thought there was going to be
trouble because I'm not real good with green paint but the baler
didn't seem to mind.

My cousin blew up one of his tractors (Case 1070?) while I was in the
neighborhood. Apparently he got distracted while changing the oil and
apparently didn't get the oil plug in tight. He had it on a grain
auger and it didn't fare very well. Farming 3000 acres, raising 2
kids, some hogs and some cattle and working as an engineer on the
railroad (which probably pays enough to permit the farming hobby)
spread him out a bit too much. Ouch!

I also got a chance to introduce my nephew to hunting gophers. They
are destroying the landscape on Dad's farm real bad. It was good to
introduce a young lad to a .22 and see him become proficient and
confident with it.
Between my nephew, my daughter, my Mom and Dad we also put a new steel
roof on one of the barns... and completed it just in time for a shower
to test our work. Everyone got a good sense of accomplishment that
day.

Now that I'm back home I'm not ready for work just yet. Been working
with my better half on a visit to Indiana in August. She's from around
Richmond and we're going to be there for a family reunion for a week.
I've asked if I could get a kitchen pass and sneak out to that little
show in Portland. We head to Indiana on the 21st and come back on the
29th; I saw something indicating the show might be the 26th to the
30th of August. Is this correct? I'm not sure we're going to be there
the correct week but I'm eternally hopeful. And I would really like to
meet some of the folks from this list at this event.... I've been
hearing about it for long enough and now the little one is old enough
to travel and get a big dose of tractors. :)

Ken in AZ