Size Doesn’t Always Matter

Whether it’s automotive engines, boats, guns, boobs, or some other things we won’t get into, we’ve all heard the unending debate of whether or not size matters. This came up a lot when we were doing seminars at RV rallies and events around the country. Some people insisted you had to have the biggest motorhome on the road, and other people were quite happy with their small travel trailers. My answer to that was that it doesn’t matter how big something is or what you paid for it, the view out the window is always the same.

Twice now, a friend who reads the blog has teasingly told me that it was too bad I bought a “toy tractor” when I have mentioned my little Kubota BX2628 sub-compact tractor. Even though it has a front loader, tiller, and a host of other attachments available, he keeps telling me that it’s no more than a glorified riding lawnmower. Maybe he’s right. All I know is that it’s done every job I’ve asked of it, and more.

Just yesterday my friend Justin Abrams pulled up with big flatbed trailer loaded with railroad ties that I need to build my shooting range backstop. Justin said when he left his place it wasn’t raining, but it had been coming down here all day. But what’s a little bit of water, right? I told him where I wanted the ties dropped off and he backed down the road past our barn to the area. As it turns out, I should have stopped him sooner, because he promptly sank in the mud. Well, darn it!

Even though he was driving a full-size 4-wheel drive pickup truck, when he tried to pull forward he couldn’t get any traction. Justin decided that if he unloaded the trailer he might have more luck. Over 30 railroad ties does add up to a lot of weight. But as it turned out, that wasn’t enough, and all four of the truck’s wheels spun and dug deeper into the mud when he tried to get out. And meanwhile, it was pouring rain, of course.

We knew he didn’t have to go more than a couple of feet to be back on firmer ground, so I got the Kubota and a chain, backed it into place, and once it was hooked up to the truck, Justin got behind the wheel and gave me the signal to pull forward. I took the slack out of the chain and then my little “toy” tractor pulled him to solid ground without even grunting.

After I parked the tractor back in its small pole barn, we went into the house so Terry could give Justin a check and we visited for a few minuntes. And wouldn’t you know it, by the time he left it had stopped raining! Go figure.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an RV camping journal donated by Barbara House. Barbara makes several variations of these, and they all have pages where you can list the date, weather, where you traveled to and from that day, beginning and ending mileage, campground information including amenities at RV sites, a place for campground reviews, room to record activities, people met along the way, reminders of places to see and things to do the next time you’re in the area, and a page for notes for each day.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – Happiness will never come to those who don’t appreciate what they already have.