I almost got to spend a weekend with Ri, but because I came down with the flu on Saturday night I missed some of the fun and had to cancel a Sunday barbecue. The time I did have with Riley was worth it.
Who says a kid needs acres to have fun? A dog blanket and audience is all that's really needed.
Riley is so wide eye'd and bushy tailed at the beginning of the day, even Missy is charged up.
I had been to the Powerland Museum last fall but thought it would be a good place for Riley and Granny, so we had no problem going back. Brooks, Oregon just north of Salem, where you will find these museums, Caterpillar, car, motorcycle, trolley, truck, tractor, and a steam powered sawmill, that are second to none on the west coast.
What decent outdoor museum would be without a small engine train that kids could ride?
And just try to keep a young boy off a model of a tractor...can't be done!
The docent was nice enough to turn his head while Riley climbed all over this tractor from the Pacific battlegrounds.
Outside the Caterpillar building were many pieces either waiting to be restored or maybe just left rusting in the winds.
Riley really liked the steam sawmill that was powered buy this one huge steam boiler that ran three saws and a few wood planers.
All the people inside cutting planks of wood from the large tree trunks were volunteer steam "aficionados" who love what they do.
Opa and Riley were watching a larger 4 foot blade slicing trunks into planks of wood as if it were soft butter.
Now it's off to the exciting "tractor pulls"! I remember in the 1980's going to the tractor pulls in Reno. Tractors? Well maybe the frame was a tractor, but after you throw on four Hemi V-8's pumping 3000 HP it is one wild monster event. This tractor pull was slightly different. First off, were the lawn tractors that unfortunately were the highlight of the day.
Here is how it works. As the tractor pulls the weight trailer down the track the weight moves up towards the front making it harder and harder to pull until the puller starts spinning his wheels, at that point his distance is marked and longest wins.
After the lawn tractor category you get the weight category but unfortunately in this weight event what you ended up with is three farmers and three tractors, making the 3000 lbs, less than 3 mph class, then adding 250 pounds of plates to run in the 3250 lbs @ less then 3 mph then adding more weight to run in the 3500 lbs class, also @ less than 3 mph.
Ok, now the exciting part...the same three tractors run in the 3000 lbs "6" mph class then the 3250 lbs after added weight, 3500 lbs of more added weight, then 3750 lbs...oh well, you get the idea. To watch a tractor barrel down the track at 1.9 mph or even 5.5 mph was less than exhilarating to say the least. This is the first time I have ever had a youngster, in the middle of a "tractor pull" ask if we could go see a museum...I swear that is what he said.
By the time this tractor gets to the end of the line Riley might have graduated from second grade. I am sure this is great fun for the competitors but as spectators of this sport...it sucks!
Ok Riley, I'm with you... lets go to the car museum and see Opa's favorite (never owned) car. When you grow up and make a lot of money please buy me this car!
This is how you know the day was a success.
2 comments:
Success! Enjoy your time with such a precious boy.... it goes by so fast!
Thanks Teri....
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