The New Arrival

So today I acquired a new piece of equipment.  Behold the Case 446 garden tractor.  My neighbor had this sitting in his barn for the last many years.  It hasn't run for 7 or 8 years by now, and the last time he did have it running, it tended to die often.  He know I enjoy tinkering and fixing on old things, so he just gave it to me.  Thus, for free, I got this lawnmower, an unpictured snowblade, and an unpictured mowing deck.  And there's more to the story....

We succesfully pulled over the tractor from his barn to my barn using a tow strap.  No problems.  I went back with the old wood wagon to pick up the snow blade.  My neighbor and I lift it up into the wagon without issue.  The fun began when we went to get the mowing deck.

He found it lying under some old hay.  Old hay as in 15 years type of old.  It was pretty well composted and rotten over the mower deck.  We push the hay away and get ready to lift up the heavy mowing deck.  Neighbor on one side, and I on the other.  We lift up and kind of get situated and ready to walk out of the barn when he starts hollering, "Get out!  Run!".  Thinking we may have stirred up some hornets nest, neighbor pushes me out of the barn.  I'm looking behind for some bees or hornets or anything to cause the concern, and he tells me there was a pretty skunk under the mowing deck.  About that time, we start to smell the skunk so we move further away fromt he barn.  After a minute or two, we see that pretty skunk slink around the corner of the barn and into another hole in the barn.  We didn't get sprayed, but it sure got the adrenalin pumping.  I'm sure that skunk didn't like to get that mowing deck dropped on its head either.

Nonetheless, I got two thirds of the equipment he intended to give me.  I'll go back sometime in a few months and see if that skunk has moved it's residence.

What is my intention with this old lawn mower?  I really don't know.  I think I'll at least get it into a running condition.  Perhaps down the road I'll even give it a little paint job.  I have no idea.  I have a problem passing up free lawn mowers, perhaps.

Note:  Please enjoy this picture of my 40-week pregnant wife.  Today is her official due date for Baby #3.  Doesn't she look happy on that old garden tractor?  Perhaps it's just a smile of exasperation.