Teamsters and Tractors

I guess driving a 18 wheel rig 18 hours straight down a lonesome highway isn't enough for some Teamster Brothers. Lots of Teamsters my Daddy knew had another tractor sitting somewhere on their property. In our case, we had lots of machinery sitting around our yard at any given moment. If it wasn't an antique John Deere then it was an antique something.

Take the yard art that showed up unexpectedly one morning when T-Daddy had been rummaging around parts unknown for the latest in his heavy metal collection. My personal favorite was the infamous hog oiler that we had to paint red and black in order to match the more easily identified corn planter. Many a family photo reflect these two personal favorites Teamster Daddy brought home one day to the horror of Teamster Wife.

With no sons in the family to mow the yard or paint any home improvement project, the task often fell to Teamster Daughters who had to learn the hard way as Teamster Parents would say. That built character. So when it was time to paint the hog oiler and the corn planter (and the dog house while we were at it) Teamster Daughters stepped up the challenge. Much to Teamster Wife's chagrin, afterwards they each came inside covered from head to toe in black and red paint. Rumor had it that the paint soaked through to their underwear.

But the real work came when it was time to move the antiques around in the side yard in order to mow the patch of grass that would inevitably sprout after a long, hard Tennessee rainfall. TD#1, 2 & 3 learned teamwork that way. They all had to muscle up and push the hog oiler together because that thing was heavy. Not to mention slippery when full of rainwater which sloshed and soaked them each time. Moving the corn planter was an easier feat. And over time, it became a cherished prop used in many photo shoots when company came. You never knew what you would find on Teamster Drive.

I guess John Deere would have been proud of Teamster Daddy for keeping his farming legacy alive. T-Daddy sure was proud of each and every antique prize. Maybe he was dreaming of unionizing farmers, but he had enough on his hands as it was.

There's a little bit of the past in all of us. But for Teamster Family...it just happen to wind up in the yard.