Eloise lives!

I'm a very blessed man. Yesterday my very kind friend, Dan, brought a friend, Merritt, along and we worked on the tractor, Eloise, to get her running again. Eloise is a 1953 International Farmall Super A. She'd languished from a bit of neglect the last year or so, I'm ashamed to say. Her starter had stopped, her coil had popped, her tires droped; she'd just sort of got that run down feeling. The picture at right will take you to a few larger sized images of her.




I'd been so busy with urgent things that the important thing of getting her running kept getting shoved to the back burner. So Dan's birthday gift to me was to bring over Merritt, who's a mechanic of the old school, and get her going. It took us four hours, but we managed to get her fired up. She still needs a major tune up (parts are ordered and on the way) and fluids changed. Her mower deck needs a major clean/sharpen/balance/lube job, but we're well on our way.



I had bought a water pump for her some time ago and discovered when I went to install it that it didn't clear the fan blades. With Merritt's encouragement I went at it with the grinder and took the end off the shaft that stuck out in the way. So now I can get that installed and put all of the sheet metal back on that I'd left off for so long. I'm MOST grateful for this delightful present.



Now it will take me only a short while to cut the grass instead of hours and hours with the walk-behind mower. Now I can rearrange the pontoon boats on the property to a much less visible position. Now I can cut down trees along the road and drag their carcasses up the hill to be cut up.



Hurrah for Eloise!

This week's busy-ness and the rainy weather has kept me from the stair project, but here's hoping I can get to it tomorrow (Thursday) or Monday. Two trips with school kids Friday and Saturday and a packed day Sunday. Never a dull moment around here!

I need to get those stairs finished pronto because I've got to bring down from NJ a piece of furniture next week and it's a very nice old antique that I don't want to juggle up to the loft by hook or by crook.

April showers are bringing May flowers today, but the weather is supposed to improve tomorrow. :) Hope your week is bright.

Doug