Still propped up

  Well, the foot is comin along ok. The doc says I've got to start movin' that joint a bit more. So he went to mashin' and bendin' on it and i just about passed out. Then when we got home, I tripped and had to catch my fall with my right foot. It was kinda like jumpin' off the porch. That really hurt. So after supper, I took some medicine and went to bed.

I got to go to the swap meet last weekend with my brother and cousin. I took Mamaw's scooter with me (don't tell her, she would be worried about it) so I got to look around a bit to see what kind of stuff was turnin' up.

It was a pretty good turnout, this was about the biggest I remember seein' here at Montgomery County Fairground. I couldn't cover all the grounds, cause some of it was wet from the gully washer we had the week before.

 Every time I mention going to a swap meet, people who are not "car people" say "what is a swap meet?" or "what did you swap?" So I took my camera and got a few random samplings of some of the venders. You might find anything at a swap meet, even though it's primary purpose is automotive related. Here is a few examples... 

This was one of the more diversified spots

One of my favorite things about a swap meet is to check out the different modes of haulin the stuff or kids. Some times the kids strollers haul the parts and Mom carries the kid. and sometimes the kids stroller is as nice as some of the cars on hand (behind the flywheel rack)

I'm not sure if this was a kid stroller or not but it was certainly multy purpose

These fellows were buyin up everything in sight, they had come by and bought three water pumps from my cousin, and left them there to pick up later, which is common if it's a large item. When they came back, they had bought a 4 wheeler, from one spot and an engine hoist from another, then they strapped the pumps on the front of the 4 wheeler and off they went. The guy pulling the wagon load of stuff was with them also.

In case you are wondering, I didn't buy anything. I sold a couple of projects that didn't stand a chance of ever developing like the MGB, and I sold the old four wheeler that I would have loved to keep, but it would have taken time and money that I don't have to spare right now.

The only thing I bought while there was a "PORK-A-BOB"

These folks were lined up to buy 'em from about 11am through the rest of the day. It was chunks of pork on a stick, grilled with sauce slathersd on 'em. Man they were fantastic!

They had three of these grills goin' all day

A pretty nice '40 PU, like my brother is building

The "rat rod" look is all the rage these days.

A '41, very simular to the '40

  Well , I gotta get sturin'

more later,

t'anks for lookin'

bill

curves?

Well, I was messin' around with curves in my new Corel PspppssspxxyII pro (or whatever)

I can hear the photoshop snobs now, 

"Corel? eeewww!"

Dannye and I have been using an older version of Corel for years. We recently upgraded to the newest version (at least for this week)

Don't misundertake me, I am NOT knocking Photoshop or anything about it. I think it's probably the best. It's just a matter of dollars.

If  it were even in the ballpark, I'd buy it in a minute, but, $89 compared to $700.

So here is some extreme curves, just for grins or whatever.

t'anks for lookin'

bill

More random sunrises/sunsets with a moon

Once again, organizing files,

I apologize if I have duplicated any

later,

bill 

Some random landscapes

 Here are some random sunrises and sunsets that I ran across while going through and organizing files.

I may have posted them before, if so, please forgive me.

Well,  it's been a long day.

I go to the Dr. tomorrow for stitches out, I think.

Tanks for lookin,

bill

Well, I'll call this chapter 5, even though I had a side track stuck in there somewhere.

(warning,  I am writing this under the influence of some pretty potent pain medication. so if it seems kinda fuzzy, it's because I  AM kinda fuzzy)

1955 Ford 600 tractor. I got it in a swap deal (how else?)

I had been workin' on a dunebuggy project after work, at my friend's shop, at about the time Nina was pregnant with Pam (I think). She was getting quite put-out with me spending my evenings away from home. A customer/friend came in the store to buy parts for this tractor. He had bought it and a trailer just to get the trailer. His plan was to get the tractor runnin' and sell it,  and keep the trailer.

He was having trouble gettin' it runnin'. I had told him about my dune buggy project, and I would be selling it when I get it done.  I jokingly said when he gets the tractor running and I get the buggy goin', we could swap. He said "its a deal!"

Well, some time passed and he came in the store again. He still hadn't got the tractor runnin', and I still hadn't finished the buggy. Again joking , I said why don't we swap "as is". He said "why not" so that night, after work, we towed the buggy over to his house, and the tractor over to my house. I got it running and proceeded to look for missing hood and grill parts. After we sold the parts store, I went to work for Conroe Ford Tractor. While working there, I eventually got it all put together and painted like it was originally in 1955. I started doing tractor work on Saturdays and after work, then quit my job at Conroe Ford Tractor, and made a livin' with it for 4 plus years.

Those were some of the best years of our lives. We were home educating the kids, and we saw God's hand daily in his provision for us. I had a mowing job for a fellow that owned 80 acres of water front property on lake Conroe. He was dividing it up and selling it. He hired me to keep the whole place mowed, but was mostly concerned about the acreage that bordered the lake and the entry point of the property. His instructions were to mow the front entry area just before the weekend, and work on the rest of it when ever I had time. He said "if you get another job, go ahead and do it, this will be here when you get back."

When the weather was nice, I would take Nina and the kids to work with me. They would have school under the trees by the lake on the trailer while I mowed, then we would have a picnic lunch.

I could go on for days with stories about this tractor.

Check out the studly driver !

Nina often refers to this van as my middle aged crazy.

I suprised her with this van after going to work in Houston. I didn't feel good about her haulin' the kids around in our old "Family Truckster", with me being so far from home. We drove it for several years. Put over 200,000 miles on it. One day, Nina pulled into Jeannie's  drive way, they were headin "off to town, off to town", while in the house they heard a racket. When they looked out the window there were flames coming out from under the front fenders and the hood.

After the the fire dept. came and put it out, the little girl that we were babysitting at the time said,

"Nonnie's van, toast!"

Another Ford that I can't find any pictures of is our '77 F250 crew cab. (we had a crew-cab before crew-cabs were cool) "The FamilyTruckster" I pulled my tractor with it and also drove the family to church in it. We also had an older Ford van along in there somewhere.

I 've got to stop for a while cause my eyes are gettin' goofy on me.

Stay tuned, and t'anks for lookin'

bill