today being thursday , jan 5. 2012, and all is well on farm. really dont think i am going to get the old tractor running but it does tell a tale her on the farm. my brother faw used that tractor and was having a time with the tractor. it was an extension for his manhood. the tractor reflected him as it was a brute, an old oliver 70 i think it was close to being a 1939 model . it had a single exhaust pipe when new but someone i am sure was concerned about upping the horsepower out of that old lincoln engine with a magneto. dual pipes were cut into hood to up horsepower. eventually we found a distributor on another oliver 70 and the other tractor had 38 inch wheels versus 40 inch wheels , so we kept the other tractor running and parked this one for parts. both were strong runners. never a mechanical problem , just brakes seemed to be biggest problem . and brakes is what got my brother faw into trouble. he had taken the tractor and went over the hill by himself and was pulling small trees with a chain, as we were clearing fields. 

        working by himself , he had backed up to a tree and got off after setting the brakes on the tractor. instead of shutting the tractor off and putting into gear to hold it on hillside. fortunately he had to get off the tractor from the rear as that probably saved his life as tractor was backed uphill . when breaks let loose my brother was bent over getting ready to grab chain when tractor took off on its own freewheeling straight down the hill and headed for the center of two large trees. faw chased after tractor as  it headed for the split of those two trees, the nose of the tractor rammed right between the trees and rear wheels caught on the two trees, and the resulting sudden snap, sheared the front wheels off the tractor and they slammed into opposite bank. no one was hurt but i think after seeing my brother and surveying the damage , i would say we all should be thankful.  well we found another front end and jacked up the tractor and replaced the front end and here it still is wedged between the trees . kind of ironic that the tractor would eventually become part of the tree that once wounded it and where was its wound but the very place the tree had its arms embracing and that was its front wheels.

     maybe someday i will do another elephant . maybe i will keep the next one. the black walnut wood makes a beautiful elephant as you let it set in sun and greys out . the wood lightens in color thatis natural finish. main reason i havent done any elephants ids i havent any logs that are walnut as i have used them all up . i will not cut anything down to just carve. goes against my better nature . most f the wood i have got is from where people have already cut a tree down for other purposes. or it has fallen due to weather. dont like to work on stumps either . wouldprefer to take a log home and then carve and bring back and place on stump. works the same if not better. easier for me to carve and cheaper . and carving will last longer if not attached to stump. stops the moisture transfer. have a good one