This tractor and shed were an unexpected surprise on my journey down Bethel Beach this Sunday. I absolutely love old tractors, old cars, old barns, old outbuildings, old houses and anything old that does not include skin, brain cells, unwanted hair and ligaments. My grandfather had a tractor like this. During daffodil season I used it to pull a wagon loaded with the dancing yellow flowers. I loved driving that thing. The smell of the flowers and the smell of the tractor were simply delicious.
These old ice coolers are located on the side of the Island Market (formerly Scrooch's Market) on Gwynn's Island. It was so muggy here this weekend I could have climbed right into one of these and taken a nap. Instead, I had to cut grass on a tractor all day long.
Speaking of tractors, and as far as I can tell we have been all along, below is something my mother (aka Mumma) wrote about my father (aka Daddy) and his assorted tractors (aka quite the collection that rarely is used).
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My Name Isn't Earl....
By Chesapeake Bay Woman's Mother
"As I have mentioned before, my husband collects tractors: His first was a gray Ford, followed by several red Farmall's with notable tall exhausts, and now--the creme de la creme--a bright green, John Deere. The John Deere is relatively new, a find given up by a "come here" (that's another day, another story)with large assets and unrelenting grass/brambles. It was a real steal, he assured me.
The John Deere came with every attachment I can't identify, including something that looks like a cement mixer. Perhaps now I can at least have my own patio, or even a Clampett-like "cement pond."
I asked Husband to find out which thingy was the plow and to plow up some of our acreage for a nice garden. Well, then it happened. His lower lip began to morph into the style of his father's, and slowly it dragged his upper lip into the perfect pout.
This happened once before, when the lady at Burger King informed him they no longer had "triple bacon cheeseburgers." She then did something that won my heart forever: She told him to "fix that lip." I am her biggest fan.
Anyway, he did plow up a garden, but it took pushing, and he did find a friend who showed him how to attach the plow, turn on the engine and USE it.
Nothing succeeds like nagging.
The garden, however, is another story, another day."
-CBW's Mother
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CBW's Note: I don't really have a whole lot to add to this particular topic other than to say I wish Daddy'd bring that John Deere over here with the bush hog attachment and take care of the weeds that are taking over the shoreline around my house. Oh, and I could also use some bush hogging in the trees along the old pony pen. Last but not least, can you put the shovel attachment on and scrape up the pine needles out of my driveway? What? Is that a pout I see? The Burger King Lady says to please fix that lip.
16 comments:
What in heavens name is bush hogging?
Inquiring minds need to know.
Bear((( )))
Yeah I'd like to know what bush hogging is too. I love the stories your mom tells....this one was hysterical! fixing the lip and all!
I have to tell my boys AND HWM to fix their lips all the time!!! LOL, this was an adorable post. Nagging does seem to get the best results though...cuz, if Momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy. Have a great day...I love visiting with you!
BN and GJ - Although I--and others I know--call it bush hogging, I believe it is technically called brush hogging. A bush--or brush hog--is an attachment on the back of a tractor that mows big stuff. (You can mow grass too, but it is meant to go through bushes, brush, heavier stuff.) Here is another example of stuff we say all the time that I take for granted most people know about. Like fiddler crabs, for example....
LOTS - Thank you. I haven't used "fix that lip" much, I like it so much I am going to start using it on my own two children. And probably on myself whenever I look in the mirror.
Pffft. Those city slickers. What is bush hogging? I used to love to go along for a tractor ride and bush hog all along my grandparent's farm. Ah the memories. And "fix that lip" is definitely going into my repertoire. Thanks;)
Your blog makes me home sick...I'm in Richmond, but grew up on the Eastern Shore of MD and spent a lot of time on the bay...I'm going to go back and read...love the pics...
I would live right where you live in a heartbeat!!!
Until just recently, it had never even crossed my mind that our "language" was foreign to many people. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
My Paw-Paw had a Massey-Ferguson tractor. It was bright red (at one time) and I LOVED to drive it!! When we were through gardening, he would tell me to park it in the shade. Didn't want her getting too hot :)
mpm - I remember riding too, then I turned 7 and they taught me how to drive it. OK, not quite that young, but I can assure you it was no later than 11.
linda s - I lived away from here for way too long. The older I get the more I appreciate living here. I love the Eastern Shore - it's very similar to Mathews except for that major highway that runs north-south.
bhe - One of the tractors in my father's collection is a red massey-f. (actually we think it is his friend's tractor, but they have some arrangement where my father borrows it--for months on end). Guess what? He parks it in the shade. Without fail.
So funny : )! I hope he fixes his lip and comes right over. What a nice post. Love it! We love tractors at our house. My Dad is a farmer at heart.
My dad, who is retired, has two tractors (although one just went to meet its maker -- that'd be Mr. Deere -- and I'm sure he'll be getting a replacement). When the dairy was operational there were three -- two of them BIG front loaders, and a smaller one for manure-scraping. Yeah, you wanted to know that, didn't you?
We don't have any brush to hog, just tall grass and dry wild oats and bull thistles. The cows mow that, and what they miss, my dad mows. Around and around the 30-acre field. Used to be my job.
I miss it.
Yeah, I love tractors too. My great-grandfather had an old tractor. It looked like the one in your picture. I commented on 2 of your earlier posts. I finally got my computer. I now have a new motherboard and modem, thank you very much. I've been to B.G. twice since we've talked. It was great.
Also been meaning to ask you. Do you know a guy named Bud Ward, perhaps?
I'm also impressed. You went to the Governor's Palace? I wish I could have gone. Sounds like an old Beta club thing to me.
Also I might add, I tripped and almost fell down at work today. I caught myself though. Everyone laughed at my expense. That's nothing new.
Have a happy week.
Rebeckah - I have a feeling the lip cannot be fixed...but we'll keep trying.
Foolery, when you come to visit we can set you up with an International Harvester tractor with the bush hog on the back and put you around the daffodil field which is something like 20+ acres. In return, I want to go on a cow herding trip with your father, except I wont' be wearing heels and a skirt like you were. (That was the funniest thing I think I've ever read. You crack me up.)
Cats - Sorry to hear about your near-fall, evidently it runs in the family. Glad to hear about your computer, though. We've missed you here.
I want to read your new post, because it looks so compelling and intersting : ), but I am SO tired and I have SO much work to do, I am going to have to save it for tomorrow when I get home from work. Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you today! Hope you are doing well!
Proof positive in the power of the nag...or as I like to call it 'round these parts, "Mama's Motivational Moments!"
i must say i'm sad to know that scrooch's isn't there anymore. growing up we practically lived out of that store. our policy was the less we had to leave the island the better. u could get just about anything u needed out of that store. damn good deli meat i might add. and i might also add that at the end of the road just past the store is a cemetery with a rather sharp left turn. sad to say that no less then 3 men in my family (in their drunken state)have taken it upon themselves that the wall needed replacing...lol
Donny - The market is still there, just under different ownership. You can still get the bare bones essentials there. I agree with you about not wanting to leave that island. As a friend of mine says, we'd like to spin that bridge around and prevent anyone else from coming on and subsist on what we had there. It's absolutely gorgeous and a slice of heaven on Earth. - cbw
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