Wednesday, 15 June 2016

I rummaged in my closet for the day pack I bought in Orlando, Florida three years ago.  Then I tucked a bit of cash, a bottle of water and my cell phone into the zippered sections of the pack.  With posters and scotch tape in hand, Walter and I drove over to the exhibition grounds.
Walking through the maze of huge farming implements and through several halls of booths and exhibitors, we finally found the section housing "Antique Tractors & Toys".  The smell of kerosene fuel and the boom and clang of an old engine drew us to the exhibits.  This to me is the heart of the Farm Progress Show (held every June since I remember...back when I was in school we would take a day off and spend it at the event).  And the antique tractors are where my Dad would hang out with his restored and running 1945 McCormick!
So we wandered through the old tractors, and stopped at the model/toy displays.  Walter got chatting with the fellow and made a connection with a potential guy who knows about "babbetts" on Walter's 1928 Dodge Brothers car.  Its like time stands still as you mosey and visit.  We stopped by an old engine that a man was nursing along and then finally shut down.  We talked with him for twenty minutes at least and he showed us pictures of the museum and old buildings they are setting up in Riceton, SK.  He took one of our posters; he gave us a business card.
Then we finally found a space near the entrance and taped the picture onto the cinderblock wall.
"For Sale"- 1945 McCormick tractor.  Good Rubber.  2,995 OBO  306-565-2678"
And the picture shows my Dad sitting on the tractor, wearing a cap and jacket, after he had driven in one of the "Antique Tractor" parades in a Farm Progress Show in the past!
We hope to sell the tractor, as it is being stored in Dad's friend's quonset out near Grand Coulee. There's really no one in our immediate family with the space or inclination to keep such an item, even though it would be neat to keep it in the family.
We shall wait and see...
Finishing our business in Hall #13, we made our way back to the other exhibits and Walter bought himself a black leather belt and a charging unit that has amazing applications!  I ate a pulled pork sandwich.  Walter took one look at the Subway line up and immediately walked the other way!  Eventually, we saw everything of interest to us and headed to the exit of the grounds.  By the time we reached our car, parked on Dewdney Avenue, we had walked 7,300 steps.  Nice!


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