The grandson is fascinated by tractors. Bulldozers and excavators are cool, and garbage trucks sublime, but tractors rule. He is growing up in Los Angeles so who can say where such an interest comes from. Maybe just a phase.
In reponse to this I am reading tractor themed books to him or getting down on my knees to play with him as we harvest, plow and putter around the floor. My wife asked what the red one was so I am teaching the kid the proper response.
"A Farmall. International Harvester. Big Red."
"The green one?"
"John Deere. Johnny Popper."
"Blue?"
"Ford."
"That one?"
"Oliver-White."
Of course such an exercise brings back memories. The farm I grew up on had a variety of used tractors aboard. I recall Olivers and low slung Fords. Dad thought John Deeres had a tendency to roll over so none of those. Now I know that these tractors were twenty years old before we got them. Good steel lasts. I can't tell you how many hours we spent working with tractors. They were the background tune of a childhood. Next time you're out in the country tune in. Hitch up to a memory.
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