[stonykill]

I have walk behind mowers along side the road for sale. An 84 year old man stopped and bought one, so he can tie a rope to it, and mow his steep bank. Yes he mows it himself.

He told me about the walk behind he is replacing. His dad bought a new toro aluminum deck walk behind 53 years ago. It just died this year. I said to him "you won't get that kind of life out of this" He says "nope, I'll outlive this and be by to buy another one from you".

We spoke for 15 minutes or so about various things. Mainly about his boyhood and the depression, and he really liked my 51 Gravely L and my 48 Wards 2 wheeled tractor. Nice guy.

He said his dad lived to be 94, so I bet I'll see him again. I certainly hope so

 

[Brad]

Does sound like an interesting gent. Nice of you to visit with him a bit. Probably made his day.

Too bad you can't get the old dead mower from him. Might be kind of interesting.

 

[Jim_WV]

Sounds like a nice old gentleman with plenty of good memories and some fascinating storys I bet. Love talking and listening to a guy like that .

 

[simple_john]

wow at 84, hes lucky to be walkin, let alone pulling a walkbehind on a rope on steep banks!!! its always nice to talk to an old timer about the past... can you imagine the changes hes seen, in 84 years...

 

[stonykill]

wow at 84, hes lucky to be walkin, let alone pulling a walkbehind on a rope on steep banks!!! its always nice to talk to an old timer about the past... can you imagine the changes hes seen, in 84 years...

He walks with a cane. I can't even imagine all the changes. Honestly, some of my favorite people are retirement age or older. Mostly simple, honest and still hardworking people.

 

[Ken N Tx]

He walks with a cane. I can't even imagine all the changes. Honestly, some of my favorite people are retirement age or older. Mostly simple, honest and still hardworking people.

Thanks for the compliments...:drunkie: :fing32: :hide:

 

[stonykill]

Thanks for the compliments...:drunkie: :fing32: :hide:

lol, anytime Ken

 

[deereboy55]

Mowing his own grass and keeping busy is what keeps him alive , people who retire ,plop down in a recliner and say I'm retired I'm not doing anything. only last about two years

 

[Ken N Tx]

Mowing his own grass and keeping busy is what keeps him alive , people who retire ,plop down in a recliner and say I'm retired I'm not doing anything. only last about two years

:Stop: mg: I will turn one year retired in June!!

Really though deereboy you are right on..:fing32:

 

[stonykill]

Mowing his own grass and keeping busy is what keeps him alive , people who retire ,plop down in a recliner and say I'm retired I'm not doing anything. only last about two years

funny you should say that. For 2 reasons. 1st I honestly beleive it to be true.

2nd, 2 houses down from me until about 15 years ago was an old man and his sister. They lived simple. Even the water in the kitchen was a hand pump into a well. His name was Harold Best. He lived t be 95 I beleive. Until the year before he died he pushmowed 3 to 4 acres of lawn a week. More than the current owners maintain with a new JD. When my grandfather asked him why he didn't buy a ride on lawn or garden tractor, his reply was "Those things will kill you".

Every year Harold would start a brush fire in his field. Every year it would "acidentally" get out of control. He has the best looking field in the area. Green grass every year. Never mowed it or brush hogged it. Now it's a mess of trees and scrub brush. Not that I am condoning his method. Untill he got really old, he could control the burn. Once he was well into his 80's the fire dept came to the rescue.

Until a few years ago I helped out a little old lady with chores. Summer and winter. In the wintershe stayed indoors, and made food for me and lots of hot coffee or tea. In the summer she would be outside working in the garden. I'll quickly share 2 of my favorite memorys of Helen. 1st, I'm out in one of her gardens working and she walks up tom to ask if my wife and I want some plant, I forget what. I sad absolutely. A few minutes later she walks over with it in her arms, dirtball and all. Says to me " I got it out for you, it put me on my butt, but I did it!" Helen was in her early 90's at the time.

Next I'm scraping and sanding her front porch of her 1790's centerhall colonial. She pokes her head out to offer me a cold drink, and tells me how her father put down that decking in the 1930's. She was the last to paint it before me. 15 years earlier. She scraped it and painted it at about 75 years old.

Her storys were all amazing.

 

[jabush]

Yup...my neighbor is in his early 80s and mows with a walk behind. He's on 1.5 acres. He's always busy out there and keeps his place looking nice.

Mowing his own grass and keeping busy is what keeps him alive , people who retire ,plop down in a recliner and say I'm retired I'm not doing anything. only last about two years

 

[stonykill]

Too bad you can't get the old dead mower from him. Might be kind of interesting.

you never know. Sounds like he goes by a lot to eat at a restauant that was in my family 25 or 30 years ago. He used to go there when my aunt and uncle owned it. I have the cheap walk behinds at $35 each. He handed me $40 and asked if I had change. I looked and didn't, so I handed him back $10 and said $30 is close enough. He looked at me, and the mower and said "you sure?". I just said, "Yes, I don't have change so thats close enough". Thats when he started talking. So you never know, he liked my old Gravelys and My 48 Wards, knows I appreciate this stuff. It might just show up one day.

 

[D-Dogg]

Wait a minute, my dad passed away in 2004! You're telling me he's haunting NY?

No, it couldn't have been my dad, or he would have fussed about $35 for a used mower. He got 52 years out of a chainsaw, 48 years out of an outboard motor, 35 years out of a pocket knife, and 10-12 years average on 22" push mowers (which I and my brothers used to mow 5 acres).

 

[art stiverson]

Nice to see someone take time to chat like that. Folks of that age are very interesting people. I agree that setting back in a chair inactive will definately shorten the life span. I talk to my neighbor a least once a week. He is 82, owns 40 acres, mows about 5 of it with JD that he bought about 6 years ago and bush hog the rest of it with an old farmall 400 and pull behind bushhog. He's survived a bout with colon cancer, double heart bypass and is diabetic but is still out everyday working on the lawn or riding his quad through the field. I plow their drive for them in the winter.

 

[Milwaukee]

Sound like my great grandma who try cut her yard which is 5 acres. She could start push mower I was surprise she is 96 years old. She try remove dead bush with ax My Mom was freak out and got AX from her. She could lift 50 pounds My Mom would say Stop you will hurt yourself I get my son help you that mean I need lift that bag.


She would try cut yard with tractor so we come to say NO bad idea she could get hurt then she say ok.

That why we start see her almost every weeks to make sure she not do anything and my Mom would talk her everyday on phone to make sure she not do something that is too dangerous for her.


I am sure that guy would live 100 years old.

 

[Tractor-Holic]

I've met many older folks who were not only interesting,but some became good friends,and are/were very nice people..only regrets I have ,is having to bear the loss of losing them as they passed on ..

I learned a lot from my elders,not just my parents and family,but others who lived nearby,and some I met through work or at social events like concerts..once you find a common thread,its not hard to get someone to open up and talk ,and I always loved hearing stories
'bout the "good old days",when things were harder,life was lived at a slower pace,and in my opinion,was better than the way we live today,rushing around like chickens with our heads chopped off!..people knew good things took time and were worth waiting for,instant gratification was unheard of..

My brother met a man who used to own a Studebaker dealership where he lives--and he still owns the building!--since my brother had owned a '41 and a '42 Studebaker Champion,he learned the guy still had not only many parts sitting in stock still at the closed dealership,he even had some cars there that were traded in back in the 1960's!..the guy recently turned 100,and still lives on his own,and runs other bussinesses in town!..you talk about witnessing changes,he's seen plenty!..from horse and buggies,to men on the moon,and then some.

I liked having older people to ask for advice,they didn't get to live to be old by being stupid,and they were always willing to tell you what NOT to do,so you would not repeat mistakes they had made in their lives..too many younger folks treat elders like they are worthless,when in fact,they are our greatest treasure..too bad you have to grow old,before you realize that ...

 

[IowaX475]

My Father in law will be 80 this year and has run his used car lot for more than 40 years. He worked at a local packing plant and at a manufacturing plant while still running the car lot. He "retired" 15 years ago from the "jobs" but still runs the car lot,,, sells cars 6 days a week,, and "picks up" the cars that the owners have missed their payments on sunday mornings.
I truly believe that staying busy helps to keep you going. He has slowed down a little,, but is at the shop every day ! Keep in mind this car lot is a one man operation,,, it's just him and his son who isn't the most dependable.

He also runs the wrecker himself , plows snow, repairs tires,and does body work !

I enjoy spending time with him !!! Great stories !

 

[squatch]

So many folks are so caught up in themselves these days that they forget: it's about the people silly! Always in a hurry and don't want to be bothered by chit chat. They are missing the most important part of life. The chance to share experiences with each other.
These days I'm so fed up with new car problems that I just rebuild my own like I had to as a kid just like my tractor. I buy and sell quite a few used parts ect. The best part is most every time I go somewhere to pic up some used whatever. I get to talking and get to see some amazing stuff and meet some amazing folks.

Bought a used radial arm saw from a guy one evening and as I was getting ready to leave I saw a fender I recognised near the garage and commented on it. "Wanna see" he asked. "Of course" he took me in the garage and showed me three beautiful Chevelles and a dozen engines and a v8 s10 pick-up he built for his son. We talked for hours. I learned alot from that retired machinist that evening.

Went to pick up some used tires from a man and spent 2 hours climbing all over and under the awesome 1,200hp super charged '50 Chevy lead sled he was building. Bench raced for another hour.

The list goes on and on. Meet people share the fun and learn from each other. Money can't buy that!

 

[glenn27]

A lot of theses comments are right on to point! We (me) can still learn so much from these older people, from a simplier time.....

I , now, enjoy the chit-chatting, and the inter-action amongst folks,,,

 

[Sheila]

I used to do light maintenance at a small retirement condo. While I was out painting, sweeping etc, I always kept a lookout for my ladies to help with groceries or what ever. Also I was the one to call if a bat showed up, or something was making a strange noise. I made a lot of lovely friends, and never wanted for a interesting chat, a cold water or such and Cookies!!! Oh, the Christmas cookie boxes were to gain 20# for!

Didn't pay much, but the benefits were priceless!

sheila