"If I could only buy ten more acres and get a good crop of cotton out of it I might be able to buy us a tractor!" Sally Field in Places of the Heart

My tractor is coming along slowly. It started out like this and, hopefully, will end up looking like that Maybe not quite as manicured, but if I can get the BOCES auto body department to paint the grill it will look pretty spiffy. The Ford 8N is a real work horse. Millions of them were produced in the 40's and 50's. Matt said he was amazed at the quality of the parts when he first saw it, dirty as they were. They just don't make tractors like this anymore, built tough and built to last. The low body is perfect for my land, which is hilly and full of dips and holes. We are $1,600 into the project now, and won't owe anything on it. Good way to operate. Matt and Ron are having a lot of fun restoring it. It doesn't take much for country boys, and even former city boys, to get hooked on tractors. It gets in their blood. You should see the YouTube films of guys working on tractors. They put a camera on their heads as they are working and describe everything they are doing, just like surgery. It's a good support system when you are just learning. I'll be able to operate this 8N just fine myself. I'm hoping it's done for Luke and Hannah to drive it all over the hills of Omi's Farm this summer.