[AT] Old tractors and old men

Fri Feb 3 13:59:18 PST 2017

If I ever wake up pain free, I know I must be dead!!!!!!!!!    I embrace 
pain..  It tells me that I am still alive.

Cecil in oKLa

On 2/3/2017 3:22 PM, tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net wrote:
> My dad worked hard until he was 88. Built 4 miles of fence at 85. Passed at 91.   I am only 64 so there is hope.
>
>        From: Dennis Johnson <moscowengnr at outlook.com>
>   To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>   Sent: Friday, February 3, 2017 1:49 PM
>   Subject: Re: [AT] Old tractors and old men
>     
> David,
>
> I have been blessed by God with reasonably good health. I will be 67 next month. I still can do a lot, just not as fast or as long as I used to do it.
> Last trip to Okla, I installed soffits and outside lights on the cabin I am building, and set a steel post in the ground on a shop building I am building. Used small electric jack hammer to get through the last few inches of sandstone in the bottom of the hole I dug, because a steel bar was too much work to break the rock. Started the shop over 10 years ago, and took a while to get round tuit's working. Plan setting 2 more posts next trip, and installing combo A/C heater unit in cabin wall so it then can be insulated. It is still enjoyable and relaxing to go there and be able to do what I do. I am not in a race!
> I feel a little bit like my IHC 2504 - missing on 1 cylinder, but for small projects who cares. Has a fuel issue where it runs good for a while, and then needs to stop and set a bit for the fuel to refill the carb bowl. It is not in shape to do 8 hours of heavy loading, but neither am I so the tractor and I match well.
>
> Thanks
> Dennis
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Feb 3, 2017, at 1:08 PM, "tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net" <tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>
>> You guys are depressing.  It sounds like you are in about the same shape as most parts Tractors. :-{
>>
>> I hope things pick up for you. I do not like seeing where I am going.
>>
>>
>>
>>        From: David Bruce <tractor57 at gmail.com>
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Sent: Friday, February 3, 2017 12:11 PM
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Old tractors and old men
>>
>> Not there yet but still dealing with the effects of a stroke in 2002.
>> Spent 10 weeks in ICU and rehab. Had a meeting with my maker but decided
>> my work here was not done. The outcome is a lot of my plans were
>> derailed but I wake up every morning with an appreciation of the day.
>>
>> Today we have cows in the backyard - not my cows but from my pasture
>> which I rent. My dog is NOT happy - things not in place.
>>
>> David
>>
>> NW NC and happy in my briar patch
>>
>>
>>> On 2/2/2017 8:19 PM, Greg Hass wrote:
>>> This will be somewhat of a ramble and may wander so bare with me. Lately
>>> it seems some have hinted at problems so I suspect I am not alone. At 69
>>> much of what I thought would be the fun in life has left. Many of the
>>> things I looked forward to enjoying are going by the wayside. My brain
>>> is at about 35 years old but my body says go to he- double hockey
>>> sticks. A few months ago I found out my back is shot and can not be
>>> fixed.  It started 5 years ago while planting spring crops, every night
>>> I ran a small fever and in the morning I was fine only to run a fever
>>> again that night. After about 3 weeks I went to the doctor who ran some
>>> tests and found nothing. A week later the fever spiked and I went to the
>>> emergency room about midnight. More tests were run which showed nothing.
>>> The doctor said it had to be hiding somewhere and ordered a cat scan. A
>>> couple of hours later the results were in. For at least a month I had a
>>> ruptured appendix. That was bad enough, but come morning, they told me
>>> one of my kidneys had cancer. Six weeks later, I had surgery and they
>>> removed my appendix and my kidney. Fast forward to late fall; at the
>>> last checkup for the surgery, they told me I had prostate cancer. 50
>>> radiation treatments later I was moving forward but had lost the
>>> interest to do a lot of things. I have the best shop of my life to work
>>> in. It is only 24 x 24 but is heated and I have some nice tools such as
>>> a bridgeport  mill, torches and 3 welders plus other tools but have lost
>>> the go to it to go out and work plus my back is always sore. As someone
>>> has mentioned, if I get down on my knees I must get a hold of something
>>> to get up. Also for the last 4 years I have not enjoyed the 3 tractor
>>> shows I like to attend each year because of the pain in my hips only
>>> lets me walk about 200 feet at a time so I don't see much. I thought it
>>> was bad muscles but now know it was my back. For this year I hope to
>>> enjoy shows more as I bought a small electric handicapped scooter. None
>>> of our shows allow golf carts or 4 wheelers of any kind. 3 years ago I
>>> took my Polaris Ranger to one and it was great, but someone  else with
>>> one "bumped" someone and they sued the tractor show and that ended that.
>>> Handicapped scooters are allowed as they only hold one person and are
>>> slow moving. I guess the purpose of all this is how do some of this list
>>> handle problems and work on old tractors and such. I farm 110 acres and
>>> only have 2 pieces of equipment under 40 years old.  I used to look
>>> forward to getting  up in the morning and working on equipment.  All my
>>> life I have enjoyed working on mechanical things but now I still want to
>>> do it but I can't get the will power to do it. It's not the lack of time
>>> as I have lots of that but no getting it done. How do others on the list
>>> with health problems get it done. I don't want to sound like I'm
>>> complaining as I have much to be thankful for, however , not being able
>>> to work without pain and even then taking all day for a 1 hour job does
>>> get me down. I hope my thoughts are sort of clear and are not to off
>>> topic as these problems affect old iron in a big way.
>>>                    Greg Hass
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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