Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[wroughtn_harv]

Bird had already left for the day and TxDon was about to head back to Lee County when we decided to take a group photo.

The guy sitting in the chair is Jinman. Standing behind him on his right is Mikim, TxDon is at his left shoulder and I'm the old guy in the red shirt. The kid with the smile almost too big for Texas is Mikim's grandson Trevor.

Next month it will be ten years since we all got together at one of those craziest of all events, an internet event. It seems like only yesterday, ten years, who would have thought?

The common denominator is tractors, I don't have one now and neither does Bird. But Jim has three so I guess we can claim one of his. There is something else that is just as important about this, us guys get along and most importantly, the wives get along better than we do.

Everyone knows Jim has been having some health issues. His mobility is made more difficult by the house he designed and worked with contractors building is not easy for the mobility challenged. Six weeks ago he ordered an outdoor personal lift. Some of us volunteered to do the install. We are a phone call with the techs and some simple framing away from having it finished. It will be done except for some construction clean up tomorrow.

There will be lots of pics posted on the project when we figure out where we want to post it on TBN.

Physically I'm a little whupped. I suspect Bird, Mikim, and TxDon are too. Emotionally it's been a real roller coaster, Jim has good days and he has some days that aren't all that great. There's a high money can't buy when you are part of a team doing something really special for the deserving. That high is magnified when the other members of the team are of the quality of Bird, TxDon, and Mikim.

Ten years, time flies when you are having fun.

 

[lostcreekranch]

You guys exemplify what TBN is all about! Friends helping friends!

Thanks for doing what you are doing.

Your are the best!

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[bindian]

Harvey,
Y'all did good. I there in spirit. How about starting a project thread..............Jinman's Lift, or something catchy like that?
hugs, Brandi

 

[txdon]

It was good to see Jim on the deck cracking jokes at us this afternoon (Thursday). We were all shocked when he said he wanted to remove the new Lift, but then I could see he got a kick out of our reaction and then he came back with he loved the Lift.
I think the best part of this TBN outing so far was when we rigged Jim's rear 3 pt. boom to his FEL's forks and lifted the 12' tall Lift onto the slab. Kathy's smile was priceless. I think Bird or Glenda might have taken some pics of the move, can't wait to see them.

Harvey and Mike will finish the top deck door install tomorrow and hopefully get the pic we have been working for all week - Jim's first ride.

 

[bindian]

Thanks for the update, Don!
hugs, Brandi

It was good to see Jim on the deck cracking jokes at us this afternoon (Thursday). We were all shocked when he said he wanted to remove the new Lift, but then I could see he got a kick out of our reaction and then he came back with he loved the Lift.
I think the best part of this TBN outing so far was when we rigged Jim's rear 3 pt. boom to his FEL's forks and lifted the 12' tall Lift onto the slab. Kathy's smile was priceless. I think Bird or Glenda might have taken some pics of the move, can't wait to see them.

Harvey and Mike will finish the top deck door install tomorrow and hopefully get the pic we have been working for all week - Jim's first ride.

 

[ronjhall]

Great crew. :thumbsup:

 

[Bird]

This is a Bird's eye view of the project. He had never used an iPad before.

Yep, never used an iPad, iPod, tablet or similar toys.:laughing: I guess I should have asked Harvey where the lens was instead of assuming (erroneously of course) that the big circle in the middle of the back of it was the lens. I knew I wasn't seeing what I thought I should see but I attributed that to the sun hitting it. Now I'm not much of a photographer, but I know just a little bit about using my Nikon camera, so here's my picture of what Harvey hoped I'd get with his iPad.:laughing:

 

[blueriver]

Absolutely perfect .. That's really great and thanks for the pictures!!

 

[txdon]

I did manage to get one picture: Harvey and Mike attaching the lift to the deck structure and a 6X6 (not visible in this pic) on the back/and side of the lift.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I guess it's an IPad/TBN thing because I can't post pics from the IPad of the Jinman Project.

It's done except for the tool sorting and then loading up part. Mikim and I will do that in the morning. He will head back to Bastrop and we will grab the fifth wheel and head out for Wylie.

I have been part of of a lot of projects that were great. But at this moment in time I do believe this has to have right up there in the satisfaction department. Part of that of course is because Jim would be first in line to help any of us if he was able. Then there's the working with Bird, TxDon, and Mikim. We all did our parts with a minimum of supervision or static. The finished project reflects the ideas and efforts of all of us. It wasn't a one man show by any means. Everyone contributed with ideas and the labor.

Jim had a great day and it was wonderful to have him around while he was up to it. Mike was a genius at the electrical bug extermination business. The factory rep couldn't help much but Mike didn't need much help. Don can rest easy because all of the safety stuff works like it should.

I'll be home tomorrow and will have access to some bandwidth and we will put some photos along with verbige on the challenges and successes.