[SEL] On the lighter side. An OT sort of engine story.

[Jeff Allen]

Hi all,

I keep thinking about this and decided to share. It has to do with a 
walk behind garden tractor, Portland, and Bird City. You gotta work to 
tie all that together.

I was at the show in Bird City last year taking pics and met the owner 
of the 8 hp Monitor. I gave him my card and told him I would have 
pictures up on my site. Turned out he knowed a guy in Oneida, KS with a 
Red-E walk behind parts tractor. He wanted to know if I was interested 
and I was. I hooked up with him and it was on a trailer headed for last 
years Portland show.

I told him Oneida was too far to drive for it, and he said he could get 
it to Colby if I werent in no hurry. Sold!! Round about Thanksgiving it 
was delivered to his buddy in Colby. The winter went on and the tractor 
stayed. Next I know it's late July and I'm off to Bird City. Hells 
bells, I'm gonna pick it up while I'm in the area. Not gonna happen. 
Tried calling and no return call. Got an e-mail address and tried to 
make it happen.

Back in Bird City and up comes the man that owns the Monitor. We says 
hello and he asks about the tractor. I tells him the story. Oh hell he 
says, I coulda picked that up for ya and brought it here. I know the 
guy. Now I understand why people consider sticking their heads in a 
flywheel on a running engine.

Got back home and checked the mailbox. The guy that has my tractor was 
in Denver when I was in Kansas. We got hooked up and storage is no 
problem. He's looking for a ride out here for me, and if it don't 
happen, I'll pick it up next year. No rush and engine folks are great.

Jeff Allen