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My brother in law bought a 40 year old combine harvester. His wife (my sister in law) doesn't understand. His sister (my wife) doesn't understand. His mother (my mother in law) doesn't understand. He has a few cattle but he is not a tillage farmer and this is in reality an entirely superfluous purchase. They shake their heads at the foolishness of it all. His mumbled attempts to justify his purchase by calculating its value in scrap metal are unconvincing.

I can understand though. It makes sense to me when I see the glint is his eye as he describes the combine. It makes sense when he tells me about a 1970's documentary film which spawned an unfulfilled ambition to join the contractors who drive their great harvesters on the annual trail from Texas all the way to Canada. Most of all though it makes sense when I climb on top of this great smoking, grinding whirring, clanking machine, gloriously uninhibited by today's mandatory safety features and trundle across the fields.

He is talking about planting some wheat next year, just a small field.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I work with a young apprentice who shares a passion for old steam engines(road not rail) & they planned to travel to their local pub on Christmas Eve from their home on it - it's a very short distance but travelling on this old engine would mean a travel speed on 3 mph!

Almost a Top Gear scenario, sure but the apprentice always sounds proud of the engine when he talks about it...I too can understand where your brother in law is coming from - I say good on him ;)
mbp said…
Hi there DM. Happy Christmas / New Year and all of that. Hope the break is treating you well.

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