A Cultural Event- a Tractor Show

1904 Model T...gas engine

Forty six years ago on this date, I had my first date with DH. I thought it was a one-time shot because he was older than I, and I could never compete with “older women” when I was just a fresh sixteen. The first date was to the movies in a neighboring town. I wanted to see Mary Poppins for the music and dance and energy of the show. I thought this old fellow was interesting in that he was game for a kid’s movie, a musical. But he returned the next week and took me to My Fair Lady. Oh, this might be the man of my dreams, one who appreciated artistic shows, who was going to college, and talked like he read great books.

Nearly half a year later and married, where did man of my dreams take me today? The tractor and gas engine show! Although he had been very sick for two days this week, he wanted to take the drive to see the tractors. We knew we had to be there early because the day was going to grow into a horrendous heat in the afternoon.

So we headed out, hit the farmers’ market first and then walked the grounds full of tractors. Shiny Farmalls, rusted John Deeres, and many in-between pieces lined up with the putt-putt-putt chuffing of the familiar machinery. The SEK Engine Club held their show on the grounds of a small museum I have wanted to get inside of for some time. So there was plenty to see.

                  This dresser could be found in many a miner's bungalow.

The museum had the usual local lore. This Crawford County Museum had lots of things reminiscent of the mining era. Clothes of the period, display of how mines worked, furniture and kitchen tools miners’ wives used. Note the lunch buckets miners carried down into the bowels of the earth. A display of dishes held some lovely flow blue.

This is a Yellow Dog, a prized item from the mining days. The produced light for drillers and tool dressers. Yellow Dogs can be worth up to $300 for collectors. 

We hurried through our trip as the heat indeed was cranking up to miserable. Then we headed home were the shaded deck allowed us to take a noon lunch without too much discomfort. Turkey on croissant sandwiches with fresh tomatoes, Candy onions, and sweet dills. Iced tea and some zucchini cake for dessert finished the meal. Then I cleaned the cantaloupe while DH stemmed the beans. Then a nap under the AC made it a perfect summer day!