The Machinery Auction

There are few things that get a farmer more excited than a good machinery auction.

Unless it is getting ready to hold a good machinery auction.

Hubby has retired from the insurance business but he kept his interest in the Real Estate firm.  Frankly, the man is a born salesman.  He just loves selling things. 

For the past few weeks he has been up to his ears in getting ready for a big estate sale that involves a farm, house and lots of machinery.  Did I mention...LOTS of machinery.  The farmer in question never sold his equipment, he just bought more.  He also kept it well maintained and stored around the farm.  For the past few weeks they have been finding tractors, hay balers, gravity wagons, mowers, manure spreaders, wagons, and bush hogs, tucked away in fence rows, barns, sheds, fields, and woods.  Each day has been a treasure hunt. 

Hubby and his old partner, who retired several years ago, have been spearheading getting all of the equipment organized and cataloged.  It wasn't long before they realized that it was going to take more help.  The first person they drafted was our son.  He is the one that keeps our machinery repaired and running so they were soon calling on him to tell them how this or that worked.  It wasn't long before he was spending every minute he could spare helping with the sale. 

He came home one night just bubbling.  They had spent the day trying to organized buildings full of parts and pieces of farm machinery.  "Mom", he laughed, "We found enough parts in those buildings to build enough machinery to run a big farm!"  Trying to sort and organize was like a big puzzle keeping them all guessing what pieces needed to be with which equipment.

Soon the line of machinery stretched across the farm frontage causing traffic jams on the little country road as farmers drove by to see what was for sale.  Still they were finding treasures in the fence rows and building.  For example, the old farmer loved showing his two pair of pulling mules.  The mules had found a new home, but left behind were boxes of harnesses and hanes.  That stumped them.  Neither of my men have ever harnessed a pair of mules.  That may be the bargain of the sale if someone knows how to figure them out!

As the sale date drew closer the talk in the town grew too.  Now people were calling and stopping by to view the farm and buildings.  Days were busy answering questions, showing boundaries, and finding more stuff in the fence rows.  Excitement grew.

Today is the day.  Hubby, son, and grandsons left early this morning to "work" the sale.  Everyone had their job assignments and was eager to get started.  Tonight, after a long day of selling, visiting, laughing, and working, they will drag in, exhausted, exhilarated, and full of stories. 

There is nothing more fun to a farmer than a good machinery auction.

I wonder what we will do for excitement next?