Just for Fun

[bpence]

Just kind of curious and this seemed like the right spot to ask. Besides playing (er, I mean working) with tractors and related equipment, what's everyone do for fun when not working in the "real world".

Personally, I'm a total golf kind of guy. Love to play....anytime and anyplace. I can easily be talked into giving up what I'm doing at any moment (yes, including mowing or other tractor related work) to spend time chasing the little white ball. My son thinks my handicap is in the bazillion range, but who cares. I also build and sell custom clubs as a hobby/part-time business.

I can also be easily persuaded to do some trout fishing. Nothing finer than to be on a quiet stream in Northern Michigan early in the morning or late in the afternoon trying to find the elusive rainbow. A fine camp fire in the evening at a favorite camp site with family and or friends is about as good as it can get. And I love to sing the old campfire songs....just wish I could carry a tune.

In the winter, keeping our classic Ski Doo running and cruising is my fun. My wife insists it's nothing buy scrap looking for a scrap heap to join, but hey, it's a 1967 "classic". You won't see one of these very often.

What's everyone else do for fun?

Bob Pence

 

[Von]

Bob,
I love to restore old cars (see photo) Have a 59' Healey and a 76' Porsche 911. Also love to play hockey. (even at the age of 41) I have the big ice rink and the Zamboni for it. Also like to hunt and spend time with the kids. I would like to do anything else than cut the grass, (have a 5 ac. yard) so its easy to find something else to do with the tractor.

Von

 

[Thomas]

Bob,
I enjoy puttering around the house /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif..filming wildlife/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif..riding my m/c /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif..trail riding on my 98 Artic Cat /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifnot much snow here /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif..just kicking backing w/ TBN /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif..drinking hot cup coffee /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif..doesn't take much to please me. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Von,
WOW...great job,ever consider old tractors and m/c.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[s1120]

Well, here is the list.

Tractors are a new thing that came with the new land
Restoring old cars [see my web site http://hometown.aol.com/s1120/myhomepage/auto.html for a look.
Trains [model, and real]
boats [using, and building]
wood working [goes with the boat building]
Working on the house [see wood working]
my motorcycles [kind of on the back burner the last few years]
.
.
Oh there has got to be more. I will update when I think of it.

Paul Bradway

 

[Thomas]

Paul,
No need to replace the roof w/ that 429ci,/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gifit will just start shreading again /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif..thats a power plant for sure. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Ever tinker w/ a Ford Galaxy 500,always wanted one of those.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[s1120]

Thomas,
As a matter of fact, I spent this weekend digging my parts car out of my sisters back yard. Hopefully I will have it up to my land next weekend.

Got to get working on that pole barn.

Paul Bradway

 

[cowboydoc]

Bob,
You sure hit two of the three of my most favorite things to do on the head. I love to play golf, love to flyfish for trout, and the rest of the time I spend working with horses and playing with the cows either roping or cutting. Not much good trout fishing in the midwest. Have to head back home now and then to get my fix there.

Richard

 

[Von]

Thomas,
I had my fill of old tractors when I had my 59' Oliver 550. As for motorcycles, I think I would be dead if I owned one. I have this problem with going too fast for my own good! I still like to wind the Porsches up to redline at shifts! Had a 930 slopenose at one time (before kids) was clocked at 186mph at the glen on the long straight. If I had a bike I would be in big trouble!

Von

 

[Bird]

Von, if you've never ridden a big bike, you don't know how right you are. You'd think that on an open air machine it would feel like you were going faster than you were actually traveling, but the reverse is true. I know 60 mph in a boat is way too fast to suit me, but 100 mph on the Aspencade was just cruising along. I had to use cruise control to keep from running too fast all the time.

Bird

 

[Boots]

Bob,
Here's the list of fun things I do.
1. Ride my Horses. (yes, with my Boots on)
2. Camp out in the great outdoors.(usually wearing boots)
3. Canoe on Lazy Streams (no boots utilized)

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifBoots

 

[Thomas]

Von,
186mph /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif thats a need for speed,and I wouldn't want to meet you on a country back road hauling a load of hay. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Von]

Thomas,
You can only go that fast on a closed race track and in the right car that you know how to drive! I would never think of doing it on the street. Plus that same car with the "street" tranny in it would top out at about 150mph. Now I would much rather drive the Zamboni around the rink than go that fast. It takes just as much concentration but the wipeouts don't cost thousands of $$. So top speed is 9mph as of late, and the wife is much happier!

Von

 

[RobS]

I wasn't going to post here, but I guess I've got as much cabin fever as the rest of you. So here goes...

Of course there's the wife and kids. Home improvement and woodworking. Family camping (if RVing can even be considered camping). A little hockey this time of year. Used to be into alpine mountaineering but that was years ago, besides there are so few mountains here in the midwest.

Then there's my other real passion: Bicycling. Been doing it since I was a youngster, only recently been more serious about it. Do a little racing (road) and a lot of club rides that tend to be informal races. If I hadn't spent so much money trying to keep weight OFF my newest bike I could have afforded a lot more tractor than I have now. Believe me, tractor pounds are a lot cheaper than bike grams.

Now the specifics (translated of course into tractor-ese):

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif One piece carbon fiber monocoque block and transmision housing with matching carbon front axle housing (made in USA!).
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif 20 foward speeds, no reverse. No clutch, but not HST either. Maybe it's a synch-shifter?
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif R-0 (smooth) tires with kevlar beads running 145 psi.
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Carbon fiber and titanium operators platform.
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Two hollow tube stainless steel Chalkley Cup holders.
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif About 600 peak watts of power. 250-300 continuous. Varies with fuel (#1 or #2 carbos).
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Total weight 17 pounds field ready!
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Total hours last year: Approx. 300 (6000 miles).
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Implements: Helmet, gloves, shoes, funky shorts and shades /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Rob

 

[GrantMO]

Rob,

I admire your passion for bicycling, very healthy I would imagine. I spend my free time hunting waterfowl and birds in the fall, trying to learn how to golf in the nice weather months, and playing guitar whenever I can. Also, my wife is trying to introduce me to the pleasures of riding. At least I get to use the western saddle and not the close contact jumping saddle she uses. Believe me, I need that horn at times! Haven't fallen off..........yet.

Grant

 

[dullpain]

Man I must be the dullest guy on the planet right now /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

I think my new and only hobby is keeping up with all of your fun times & hobbies./w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

I gotta get a life /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Wingnut]

Now me, I like speed too ... but I have this thing about living ... so the Aspencade rarely goes real fast. I've found that the front wheel leaves the ground at about 104 1/2 mph ... and doing wheelies at that speed is a bit too scary for me.
If I really need speed, I just take an oipportunity to hit the autobahn on one of my quarterly European trips ... that keeps me sane for another 3 months.
Of course, like Thomas I have a '98 Arctic Cat .. a Pantera 580 EFI and it can peg the needle pretty good if the field is wide open ... nothing freezes your eyeballs like 90mph at 20 below!

My main non-tractor-based activity is building computers or building my shop. It is now completely outside, sheetrocked inside, 75% taped (got too cold to finish) and I'm currently building the workbenches. Maybe I will actually be able to start using it in 2001. (I've been at it for over 2 years now ... I found that once you hit 50, building a structure such as a garage or shop by yourself takes a little longer. But it's gratifying to look out there and remember that you put up every stick, every rafter and every sheet of gyproc!

golf ... I used to do that ... still got the clubs and an electric golf cart ... and have found enough time to "play" 4 games in the past 3 years. Guess it's no longer a priority.

too bad that common sense ain't