Tractor Portability

[Harv]

Bird -

If you were raised in the country then I'm swayed in the country direction. You are a fine gentleman with a good head on your shoulders. I would be proud to have you as my son. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Interesting point about city kids not having any work to do. My daughter feels overworked having to pick up her room and set the table for dinner. I would love to see my kids feeding the chickens and bringing in the firewood before breakfast. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[MChalkley]

Bird - That brings back some memories.

I personally feel that children usually get out of school what they put into it. I was raised in the country and went to a school that was rated very poorly but I feel I got a pretty good education from it. And so did a lot of kids I went to school with. On the other hand, most of them got a very poor education, and they're the ones responsible for its poor rating, I suspect.

MarkC

 

[scruffy]

I will agree totally with Bird and MarkC. My two oldest did extremely well in public schools...bus ride of 35 miles one way. The third and fourth oldest blew the whole thing.
The youngest is home schooled all the way, and a very bright young fellow, actually too smart for his own good.
Hospitals?
Either one can kill you in a hurry, by the same token, either one can be a life saver. Depends upon the expertise available in given areas.
Shopping?
Grew up doing that on a once a month trip, which was usually an all day Saturday affair.
Friends?
Well, must admit that can be an issue, but the quality of friends selected are usually a much longer relationship. My oldest have maintained their friendships through the years, and my best friend is one dating back to high school. Although our lives have long since gone different directions, we still maintain a close relationship.
The pace of life, and the overall ambiance of said life is much happier to me than the hustle/bustle of city/suburb lifestyles.
Sorry your feelings were miffed by earlier statement, but the thoughts expressed were my own opinion of which I preferred. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Harv]

Scruffy -

<font color=blue>Sorry your feelings were miffed by earlier statement</font color=blue>

???/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif???

Nothing you have said has ever "miffed" me. I'm not particularly miffable, and I respect everybody's opinions on this board. So whatever you're referring to just ain't worth mentioning. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Okay, I was a little ticked when you sold Grumpy without checking with me first, but I'm just a sentimental ol' fool. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[TexasJeff]

Just my feelings and I asked my daughters also.
Twin girls raised in the country Graduated with a class of 42(42 kids) in 1997. Went to a college that had 13,000 Graduated in 7 semesters and then on to graduate studies at Texas Tech. I asked them their opinion of big school verses small school. They felt they had better teaching at the small school with a lot more caring and interested teachers.
Now one is a Teacher in a small town the other has 2 more semesters then she graduates. I was raised country Lived in a big city of 25,000 for a year Hated it.

 

[roysallis]

Harv, I was raised in the city but fortunately I had relatives that lived in the country (Mississippi delta share croppers) and got to visit with them and experience country life. After I got out of the Navy and started a career I married a country girl and worked with some people that were raised in the country. After spending a lot of time at my in the country with my in-laws and getting to know my co-workers I wished that I had been raised in the country. Of course it depends a lot on the parents and how they raise their children but I believe that children that are raised in the country have the advantage. They learn true values. Yes, there is more physical labor in the country but they get to see the results of their labor. They can still get a good academic education. Kids raised in the country have a better chance at learning to appreciate what they have (material things and spiritual things), appreciate nature, and learn real values. Good parents can raises good children in the city or in the country but I think country life has more to offer in making a whole person. I wish that I could better present my feelings about counry life but I am not very good at expressing myself.

 

[Bird]

Mark, I've sometimes wondered whether "curiosity" played a role? I think you learn what you want to learn, and learn very little about things in which you have no interest. I think I got a pretty good education through high school (although Mother was unhappy with me because I missed the honor roll by half a point), went to college for one semester, and like a lot of ignorant kids, dropped out to take a full time job, got married, etc. Started back in college part time when I was 26, no intention of getting degree, just to take a few subjects I was interested in, especially law. One thing led to another, and I finally got my bachelor's degree when I was 35 (made Mother happy with the "*** laude")./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

And another trait I guess I developed on the farm was a love of winter; no crops to tend and we could eat supper earlier because it got dark earlier. Dad never allowed us to have supper before dark; said as long as there was light to see by, you could work outside./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[Harv]

MarkC -
<font color=blue>children usually get out of school what they put into it.</font color=blue>
I think you're absolutely right on that one -- and so far my daughter is proving the concept. I feel it's the parents job to offer motivation and support -- the rest is up to the kids.

Jeff -
Your daughters' experience says a lot. Small class sizes can be a big advantage -- especially if the teachers care about their job.

Roy -
You express yourself just fine. I want my kids to be self-sufficient, able to take care of themselves in a wide variety of situations. Country life is probably a better environment for that kind of education.

Bird -
Your determination for an education obviously came from within. I'm not sure the parents or the environment have much to do with that. I can only hope the desire is there.

My city-type programming runs deep, but y'all are chipping away at it pretty effectively. So far our trips to the property have been weekend affairs, but now I'm hatching a plan for next summer to try spending a week or two at a stretch so's we can all absorb a little more of what it's like to actually live there.

Thanks everybody. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[TexasJeff]

Something else I wanted to add about country kids, EVEN though they are NOT saints by a long shot. After hearing about the BIG CITY stuff kids do its nice to hear some nice things. My Daughters car had a flat in the school parking lot, (Grass lot of course) the ag boys saw it took the tire off took it to the shop repaired it and put it back on the car with a bill for 1 pepsi apiece on the windshield. The girls had 4-H (Lambs,chickens and rabbits) projects so during county fair week they were unoffically relieved of school to care for their animals. They were in advanced classes mainly so during high school they had the same english teacher and math teacher for the entire 4 years. Sometimes I hear bad things about Todays Youth and wonder where the person making the statement lives. Because I have met some good ones through my Kids. OK I will get off my soapbox about COUNTRY

 

[bpence]

Harv, let me throw in my 2 or 3 cents worth about living in the country. All of the potential drawbacks you've identified for us are probably valid enough reasons not to move to the country.

On the other hand.....have you ever laid out in a field in the of a star filled sky with your kids and not heard a sound coming from anywhere? I can remember giving one of my four kids jobs to do around the place and hearing nothing but grumbling and moaning. After all of that, I also remember hearing, with a sense of accomplishment mind you, the "I did that today", after a welcome home hug. Seems like living in the country somehow teaches persistance, determination, and doing a job until is done right.

Three of my kids are off to college now (well, one actually graduated but somehow slipped past the security check point and moved back in) and it's kind of interesting. They're always bringing someone home with them on a weekend because we live in the country and as the kids say, "there's always something kind of interesting happening", or "My Dad's always got something going he'll drag us in on." (none of them were english majors)

Your kids will adapt. Your wife will adapt. You just have to remember to buy milk and bread every time you go through town. It's probably not 3 minutes to the store anymore.

You couldn't take over 20 years of raising kids in the country back from me. I really don't think you could take it back from my kids. There's just something special about growing up out where the air is clear and it gets dark at night.

You might be real surprised what the kids might think........especially if you teach them to drive the Kubota.

Bob Pence

 

[MChalkley]

Harv - I think you hit the nail on the head by including both parents and children in the process. I wasn't intending to minimize the parents' role at all because I take the parents' influence in the childrens' attitude for granted. For example, I really don't believe inner-city kids are less intelligent than suburban kids - but the example set (the "motivation and support", you termed it) by their parents leaves a lot to be desired, in most cases.

MarkC

 

[RobertN]

Harv,
when it's real important, you'd be there quickly in a Helicopter. Even as big as Placerville is, they do not have a real trauma unit. A lot of folks get shipped to Sac because of that.

Hospitals
Here: 6 minutes from one of the finest in the state and less than an hour from several of the finest in the country.
There: 30 minutes from a small country medical facility and more than an hour from a "major" hospital.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Harv]

Bob -
You paint a mighty purrty picture. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I'm starting to think I'm concerned not so much about living in the country, but about the transition. Not so much for my 3-year old boy, but my daughter is 8 (going on 16) and is quite the social butterfly. It's hard to contemplate putting her through the pain of leaving her neighbors, school chums, soccer team, swim team, brownie troop, etc. Or maybe she'd be fine and I'm being the big baby. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Mark -
I'm sure there are both good and bad parents no matter where you go, but country folk in general seem to be a little more family oriented. I gotta tell you -- if I could move to the country and have all of you guys for neighbors, I wouldn't even have to think about it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobertN -
Funny you should mention helicopters. Two of my buddies own and fly helicopters, and we've talked for years about literally "dropping in" on my property. I even went so far as to clear it with the neighbors, but the fact is that it's so heavily wooded and hilly up there that there's no good place to set down anywhere on the entire 42 acres.

But now I have a tractor!!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Think I could clear off a level patch of ground somewhere?

In fact, now that I'm thinking of it, do they make compact helicopters in orange? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

BTW -- there is one major drawback to moving to the country. I'd have to give up my DSL and go back to a dialup modem!

.

 

[scruffy]

Harv, sorry about selling Grumpy w/o running it by y'all here on the board, just couldn't pass, especially when I got backed into a corner by the individual paying what I said I would consider.
Still trying to figure out what to do with the barrel pump, and sand blaster I had bought. I don't need the pump, and the purpose I bought the sand blaster for (the box blade) is no longer here either. I can still use it to clean up my son's birthday present, a minibike. I also have a 5hp gas motor pump that also needs repainting.
Wasn't a planned thing!

 

[Harv]

Scruffy -

I hope you know when I'm jerking your chain. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I know a lot of us are never quite sure if the tone of our messages is being interpreted correctly, but I think we're comfortable enough to poke a rib here and there with no malice aforethought.

Now don't go tempting me with your sandblaster -- I used to have one, but eventually ran out of uses for it, and now I'm back to wishing I hadn't gotten rid of it. I haven't really tested out the air compressor my dad left me, so I'm not even sure where I stand air-volume-wise.

I think I have enough on my plate to keep me busy for quite a while, so I'm going to pretend you didn't mention it.

For now. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[scruffy]

Harv,
I have this propensity for digging out rusty relics and refurbishing them. Trying to talk a neighbor into parting with an old Sears home building decorative concrete block mold and ???. Cool looking thing, but rusty as the dickens, even though it isn't frozen up. It has a crank, gears, mold, decorative press, stand, and mixing area, with funnel to pore into the mold. He ain't said no, so the fight ain't over yet! Great item to use the sand blaster on.
Like I said, I seem to drag a lot of odds and ends out of where-ever, and enjoy bringing them back to life.
The barrel pump will just have to roost in its box until I get another tractor. Probably sometime next year, but it will be a newer (unless its a CUB) Kubota (not NEW, just newer), with more ability.
Yessir, I recognize chain yankin'!

 

[scruffy]

this is soley a test.

 

[scruffy]

test #2

 

[jimmoore]

BUD wins hands down every time!

 

[Harv]

It's okay, Scruffy -

You have not been banned from the board, yet. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif