anndody

Here is my truck- a Ford F100. 1962... I've been wondering lately, just why I enjoy driving it so much. Just what is so great about driving an old truck around? Some people "get it", and think it is so cool... others think it makes about as much sense as heating your house with charcoal. An old vehicle is kind of like a theme park ride. That's the answer. Every time I get into that old truck, it's like I'm at Walt Disney World, on the Amazing 1962 Truck Ride . Really. I climb up (you have to hoist yourself into these old trucks!), slam the (all steel) door shut, pull the choke (you have to know exactly how much, according to current weather conditions), and then... turn the key. It's never a given that it will start... it'll turn over, but: Did I choke it right? Did I push the choke in, just after it caught?? Is it my lucky day, punk? You get the picture: it's not just a drive to work- it's an adventure! And the ride to work, in this cas...

I live a vintage life. From the 100 year old farm house my wife and I live in, to my 45 year old Ford F100 green pick-up truck, the past is my day to day reality. Even the dog, Charlie, at fourteen and a half years, is nearly an antique! (Please note I spared my wife a similar comparison.) Seriously though, there's a lot of work and maintenance that goes into the upkeep of our farmhouse and various vehicles, including a JeepCJ5 and an old John Deere tractor. But it's satisfying work and it recaptures an era that should never have ended in the first place! Here in our valley in Wisconsin, we manage to hang on to that time when the pace was slower and life was simpler. At 55, I'm only a week away from my official retirement date as a mailman, but I plan to keep working for a few more years. Hey, I want my daughter to get the best education she can at the best college I can afford! In a sense, I think of myself as already retired... but working! Let me explain: No long...