Our New Tractor

With the type of work that needs to be done down in Tennessee, we realized we needed a bigger tractor.  The John Deere isn't heavy enough, and we can't put a bucket on the Ford.  After looking around for a while we found a good deal on a 1982 Allis Chalmers tractor.

It has a fresh paint job and decals and runs extremely well.  And yes, I took the Bimini top off.  We have the hard top that goes on it, but it need to be repaired and painted.  It is a 40 HP diesel tractor with a 3 point hitch and a rear PTO.

The bucket is capable of lifting around 1,500 lbs and will be able to handle all the tasks we need to accomplish in Tennessee, not to mention it will come in handy taking down trees here in Haubstadt too.

So we hauled it home from Historic Vincennes (birthplace of Red Skelton, but that's not the only reason it's historic).  I was concerned that the trailer would be over-loaded.  I borrowed a trailer from Rusty so we would have trailer brakes, and we made it just fine.  The trailer pulled smoothly and the truck didn't notice the trailer back there.

So now she sits in the back of the house.  We need to get a car tent to put over it.  Tractors can sit out, but they will break down much slower if we keep it out of the sun and rain.

So keep your fingers crossed for us that we are able to sell the john Deere in a reasonable time frame.  The sooner the better.  Meanwhile if you need me, I'll be out on the tractor.

Projects!!

I wanted to quickly share the project I've been working on! A few years back, Kathy Hilleary scored me this awesome jewelry armoire at an auction:

Inspired by the blogosphere several weekends ago, I decided I wanted to spruce him up a bit.  After a quick consult with Granddaddy on best methods for painting, I made a trip to Lowes for 220 grit sandpaper and some semi-gloss mint green paint and then to Hobby Lobby for 3 yards of fabric for the interior, which was originally a forest green velvet.

A few weekends and way more than a few staples and glue sticks later, here he is!

Eventually I'd like to get new knobs, but it just wasn't in the budget for me, and I did like the gold on the mint green.  He kinda clashes with the currently wall color in my room, but fortunately, repainting my walls was the next project on my list!

When the room is painted, I'll show you some pictures of where he actually lives.

Love you!

Kate