http://www.agsem.com/200804-dennyd.html David Denny Index

David Denny photo by Greg Hayden

Here we go, the New Year is here, hopefully a year of great accomplishment, peace and serenity - YEAH-RIGHT!

After the meeting last Saturday I realized-2008-40 years ago Bill May and Jim Bove started this whole thing. I wonder how many of the Founding Members are still around? This is the work weekend, with no Bob Morley. His well driller is in, and he needs water at his place-so there he is.

The days pass, and not a lot is going on, here. My TV was out for quite a while, so what? all there was on was Political BS about Super Tuesday, and vote for-----! I sort of got part of the Super Bowl-I said so what!

We have been receiving some rain, now and again. Bud and Barb Watson had their Flower Field Drivers meeting, and signed up a lot of new drivers. They all had to be certified as OK. I don’t know whether or not they all passed. Certifying the drivers, after training makes our Insurance company much happier.

Cecil Morton is getting tractors ready for Flower Field use. Third weekend of February was Board Meeting weekend. Also the February Parts Exchange. There was pretty fair turnout, some thing changed hands, some greenbacks, changed hands, Bob Morley brought one of those Chinese 1 Cyl diesels to demonstrate, also he made coffee and had doughnuts. A vigorous Board of Trustees meeting today. Dry weather, at least the usual parts exchange area was dry enough to drive on.

Tuesday, Greg H. took me to get groceries, and we made note of strange large trailers, travel trailers, and motor homes in the parking lot! The Circus had arrived. Circus Vargas is setting up shop, erecting tents staking out shaggy ponies, getting stuck on slippery wet grass, and generally doing what the Circus does when they come to town.

Then it rained! By 9:00 Wednesday morning we had 1/2 inch when I went back inside. Mud ? I guess! It keeps on showering. It clears off for a day, and Bob Morley takes the empty fuel tank to the Flower Fields in preparation for the estimated March 1st starting date. On his successful return he loads a John Deere tractor on his flat bed trailer to go—

This is # 1 to depart, Saturday Feb.23 now hauling starts in earnest. They wish to get at least 3 tractors and Wagons over to Carlsbad, to start! Mike Stevens hauls wagons over on his John Deere green and yellow painted and lettered trailer. I think he is going to have difficulty hauling RED painted wagons with 'IH' signage on them.



Cecil Morton and crew consisting of Bob Phillips, Paul Maxam, Chuck Allee, Ken Burris, and others are going all out, getting all tractors ready to go to the flower Fields. Case tractors brakes, seals (to forestall possible oil leaks). Change fluids get batteries ready to go.

Mike Churchill started pulling seals off his adopted Massey Harris 33 tractor, it was leaking grease down on the wheels. When Mike had to leave to go home, Cecil, Bob Phillips and Rudy Dremely using a heavy puller (dug out by Cecil Morton) finished pulling parts off, (no easy task) and replaced the seals. Paul Maxam did a paint job on it, and it is now RED and ready. When Mike returns, the wheels will be ready to be painted yellow and go back on.

Thursday, February 28 we got the OK on the new kitchen in the assembly building. Grills, stoves, and new Ice Machine are still waiting to be hooked up. On Friday, February 29 (yes it's leap year) Bob Morley, Bud and Barbara Watson head over to Carlsbad to make ready for the start, Tomorrow, March 1.

Our next event, the Civil War re-enactment, next week will see the breakfasts and the evening spaghetti dinner held in the "Club" building (building K), for the new kitchen is ready, but the chefs (cooks) are not able to move yet!

The time for the wars has grown close, the advance guard has arrived, and the motorhome is parked in the usual spot, beside the Farmhouse. The first sutler group is getting the tent up. Dar Jewell and Guy Horton have started getting breakfast meat for gravy browned and in the refrigerator, so they don't have to get up at 4:00 am each morning.

Mike Churchill has taken over Trash duties for this event. There usually is more thrown away for these re-enactments than for any other event, Friday afternoon the troops start arriving and getting tents set up, north to the south end of the show ground, south to the north end. Horse trailers, and the cavalry has arrived.

Pickups and trailers, with nasty cannon barrels pointing back, the artillery is here! From privates to generals, including the Commander in Chief of the Union Forces President Lincoln himself! The war's battles were fought with great ferocity on our back (northern) parking lot and former grain field.

Both sides came to breakfast, if so desired. Good biscuits and gravy, sausage and eggs. Saturday evening there was a Spaghetti dinner. The Surgeons must have done a miraculous job, for they even had the battlefield "DEAD" well enough to participate. By Sunday evening it was all over, except the clean up of trashcans filled to the running over point!

Monday noon, Dar Jewell had enough collected to completely fill the freshly emptied (early Monday morning) Dumpster. The big trash bin is full, and un-movable due to the mud still puddled in the gully. The trash company finally decided to pick up the big bin and sent in the truck, which promptly got stuck, almost to the axles in the not yet dry mud!

Ernie Walker crawled under the truck, hooked the chain to it, and Cecil Morton brought the D-8 cat over and pulled the truck out of the mud and up onto high and dry ground. The bin stayed behind.

They then hooked the D-8 to the bin, and with great difficulty pulled the muddy and heavily loaded bin to where the truck could pick it up. The replacement bin still waits on high ground for better days before getting put in its place! It is now being loaded from the ground level which is not an easy task.

The Flower Fields seem to have settled down to a routine. Bob Morley hauled the last available wagon to Carlsbad last week. There are still tractors being readied to go, if necessary. They would like to have 10 there "just in case". Fuel costs are going to be horrendous this year!

After returning from the flower fields one evening Bob Morley spent an hour or so cleaning up where the trash bin used to sit. There had been many misses in loading the now departed bin. I shall pass along the request to take better aim when putting anything in.

George Bohn is getting the south section of Steam Engine Row, under the cover, formed, and filled in, replacing and hooking up the drain lines, ready to pour a concrete floor. Section at a time. This will make it look more professional, keep it cleaner and safer. This is a long needed (and expensive) project. Contact the Museum office if you are able to give any assistance, either physical or monetary.

The Farm crew came in one day to do some major repairs to the threshing machine. I guess it is fixed, because they put it back in the barn before they left. Again I am using this column as an obituary. I was just notified of the death of Rita Yoho, wife of Bruce Yoho. This is one of the most troublesome of all the writing I try to do. Condolences to Bruce and family, from all here.

Trying to follow the proceeding with something upbeat Bob Morley has taken some time off, and has gone back east for a family reunion. Keith Richards is using the Diesel Case tractor, with a bush hog rotary mower, cutting knee high grass and weeds. Ernie Walker has the Ferguson Loader, hauling dirt from the dirt piled at the north end of the camp ground, filling the gigantic gully washed across the upper field behind the Indian Mound (Native American Historical Site)! This thing was a miniature Grand Canyon!

Roads, Ernie is doing roads all over the grounds, for the roads really took a beating during the last two RAINS last month. That Case tractor we received that had been used on the race track at Del Mar was Ugly. It also was Mechanically in very good shape! It needs wheel brake cylinders replaced (yes it has hydraulic wheel brakes) and the Ugly removed!

The fenders were rusted through, due to the fact of being close to the ocean and salt air. The seat was bad also. Ernie Walker found a pair of fenders at North County Equipment that will fit over the huge wheels, and did a fine job of welding up the seat. Paul Maxam and Cecil Morton have been wire brushing and cleaning the engine and parts, and Paul has given it a coat of primer. It is now gray and not faded blue and yellow. Soon it will be Case Colors. Paul Maxam intends to adopt it when it is finished.

Cecil Morton has been removing unwanted internal boards in the School of Times Past building. Now, Pat Myers, builder, and Cecil are adding bracing and are going to put plywood on the interior walls. It will look like a proper schoolroom when they're finished. I am about finished with this missive for now! Tomorrow is deadline day, so that's all.

Return to April 2008 Table of Contents