Old Tractors & Steam Engines

A couple weeks ago, we had the opportunity to attend a local show of old steam engines, steam tractors, and old engine-powered tractors, most of which had been restored.



Minneapolis Steam Tractor










Ted with Case steam tractor

















Two views of a Case 500


There were lots of different John Deere tractors, too, but I didn't take pictures of them.

This old steam tractor looks like it hasn't moved in quite some time....







This old Maytag washing machine was run by an external motor.


The "Happy Farmer" tractor was very unique...kind of like a tricycle. Apparently the design wasn't the best, as it didn't catch on!

There was a parade of the tractors, so we got to see them actually running and moving. The first one is a Rumely steamer, the second one is the "Happy Farmer" tractor, and the third one is the Case steam tractor. It was really fun when the steam tractors blew their whistles!










There was a team of Clydesdale horses that they had hitched to a wagon, and they were in the parade, too.




There were some fun things especially for kids....one was a Farmall tractor pulling little cars made from plastic barrels. The other was a miniature railroad. There were two trains running on the track, and they were giving rides to children on the cars.

Hot Air Balloon

One morning last week, I stepped outside the back door & realized that there was a hot air balloon travelling from west to east above our neighbor's house. It was so quiet that I didn't realize it was there until I heard it "burn". I took a picture & a video. In the video, it is very quiet--you can hear the birds chirping and the dogs barking. Close to the end of the video, the balloon does a "burn" and the dogs next door realize it is there and start barking like crazy. It was quite an experience to see one so close to the house!

Georgia in March

Thanks to free airline tickets from United Airlines(for taking a "bump" last spring on our trip to New York), we were able to visit Cindy, Nathan & family in Georgia in early March. We had a wonderful time experiencing spring well in advance of spring in Montana. Temperatures were in the 80's for the first few days, then dropped to the mid-40's with 3 days of rain. One highlight was a visit to the UGA Botanical Gardens. Another was attending an Atlanta Thrashers hockey game. Some of us enjoyed a tour of four pre-Civil War homes that have been restored as museums. During the beautiful weather we took walks, worked in the yard, and relearned what it feels like to have warm weather!

A Montana Christmas

A few of the happy memories of time spent with family this Christmas season. The snow was special-ordered to please the grandchildren. . .it must have been, because after they left, we had only light dustings of snow for the next 6 weeks.

Camp Grandkids

Misc. Family Photos

Cynthia's Graduation May 24, 2008

Cindy's Graduation from Cornell University with a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies.