Michigan Living by a Nasty Mangy Wilddog

[big oil]

BO thanks for posting all the tractor photos. My favorite the green JD two silinders.
Working on a diary farm in Virginia I drove up two Pennsylvania on my two saterdays off just to go and watch the Amish work their land. I'd just drive around until I'd see a guy plowing and switch off the bakkie and then watch him plow with his horses. They are masters at handling horses. On my last saterday I asked one of the farmers if it would be possible for me to work on one of their farms for a month or two? He gave me a stern look and said the elders would not like that.
Kind of ironic that the closest town to where a lot of the Amish farmers were had a very big Ford/New Holland factory!!
I took a pic of a 12 wheel Ford tractor in front of the factory.

You're welcome, Chris.  I like the JD twin silinders as well.

A hard working draft horse means everything, and they'll pay good money for one.

On the Amish man declining your request to work, don't feel like he was singling you out, you had about as much chance of working that farm as smelling a fart in a tornado.  Every community is autonomous, each having their own set of rules called Ordnung, not sure on spelling.  I'm unaware of any community in the USA using tractors, though I am aware of an extremely wealthy Amish man in Ohio, whom I met back around 2012ish, who owns a tractor dealership, among other factories, one of which I toured that manufacturers hardwood furniture that sells overseas for high dollar.

[big oil]

I drove by my Milo's farm, things are starting to take shape.  The site where original barn stood is clean of all debris, just some fill dirt remains.

Donations have been coming in, as far as I know, lumber and blocks, and help from families within the Amish community. 

Sad though, I've heard comments from my culture such as, "Amish are hypocrites, I'm not giving them a dime" or "Amish only care about themselves, F them". 

Sad to hear these peaceful loving people described as such. 

[big oil]

From Milo's farm, I drove down an old route that is loaded with whitetail deer.  I love the setting of this old historic farm.

[big oil]

This mansion has been on the market for quite awhile.  I heard that an offer has been accepted.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4927-28-1-2-Mile-Rd-Homer-MI-49245/74650760_zpid/

[big oil]

One of several sawmills in our local Amish community.

[big oil]

Here is where my friends, Jerry and Lorene reside.  Jerry is a master carriage and buggy builder.  Lorene is in charge of upholstery.

I enjoy watching them at their respective craft.  If any of yous can dream of any carriage or buggy you might want, Jerry can build your dreams and send it to you.

[big oil]

12 Aug 2019

I awoke at 5:30am, then went back to bed until 8:30am.  It felt good to sleep in.

Then the phone rang, I didn't have to look at it to know who it was.

Joseph needs to borrow my motorcycle trailer to move.  So, I towed my trailer down to his home.

While there, Joe needed me to hook up a much larger enclosed trailer and place it closer to his home.

I had my old Trek mountain bike loaded in my bakkie bed.  Joe has been eyeballing this bike for weeks. 

He has asked me to sell it to him at least 50 times since he first laid eyes on it.

A Made in the USA bicycle is rare, seems every bike I see now has a frame made in Taiwan.  Wheels are also US made.

Seat is Italian, crankset, shifters, derailleurs, and brakes are all Japanese Shimano.

I took the Trek with me to Portage, Mitten to get an idea on value. 

[big oil]

Finally, it was time to collect my KTM 1290r.  While at the dealership, I scoped out a couple sweet looking bikes that caught my eye.




Appears Yamaha has introduced a YZ125X, 2-smoker with an 18 inch wheel.  I like it, this would likely be an excellent choice for tight single track riding.





Then an old Honda caught my eye.  I don't know what year, I looked at the metal plate Honda affixes to the frame, I can't remember what it said though.  I do know the bike is a VFR750 with 1,670 original miles.






From Portage, I made my way back home along the rural roads, took my sweet ole time.  I forgot to shoot a pic of my KTM.  I'd forgotten what she looked like she was gone so long. 

Can't wait to ride her possibly tomorrow to see how she feels.

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

BO thanks for posting all the tractor photos. My favorite the green JD two silinders.
Working on a diary farm in Virginia I drove up two Pennsylvania on my two saterdays off just to go and watch the Amish work their land. I'd just drive around until I'd see a guy plowing and switch off the bakkie and then watch him plow with his horses. They are masters at handling horses. On my last saterday I asked one of the farmers if it would be possible for me to work on one of their farms for a month or two? He gave me a stern look and said the elders would not like that.
Kind of ironic that the closest town to where a lot of the Amish farmers were had a very big Ford/New Holland factory!!
I took a pic of a 12 wheel Ford tractor in front of the factory.

You're welcome, Chris.  I like the JD twin silinders as well.

A hard working draft horse means everything, and they'll pay good money for one.

On the Amish man declining your request to work, don't feel like he was singling you out, you had about as much chance of working that farm as smelling a fart in a tornado.  Every community is autonomous, each having their own set of rules called Ordnung, not sure on spelling.  I'm unaware of any community in the USA using tractors, though I am aware of an extremely wealthy Amish man in Ohio, whom I met back around 2012ish, who owns a tractor dealership, among other factories, one of which I toured that manufacturers hardwood furniture that sells overseas for high dollar.

Whilst working on the dairy farm there was this young guy who came and fixed the milking equipment every time it gave problems. He was a Mennenite, as sort of Amish Light. They have cars but all chrome must be black. Most of them is in the dairy repair industry. This guy would bring his young sister with every time. She wearing blue dress with hair cap. Every time I walked passed her she would look down, no eye contact ever!!
Then there are Amish that do have tractors only diesel ones though. BUT they must have steel wheels. So you would have a fancy new John Deere with steel wheels like in the 30's.
Why they have a problem with rubber I do not know but they do have rubber wheels on their bicycles and most school age kids wear sneakers with rubber soles. So it seems rules are bent slightly. They live a hard life and I salute them for that.

[big oil]

F@CK, the mention of the name Mengele and then of baby experiments has made me want to vomit.
What he did with twins as "medical experiments" is the purest distilation of evil ever.

Perhaps, just perhaps, go through those case files again...

The files may have been thrown in the dumpster or burned.  I'll check tomorrow.

[big oil]

13 Aug 2019

I was able to get out on my 1290 after collecting the bike yesterday.

I only rode about 25 miles, what a thrill though.  This bike is sick fast.

So far so good, I'm still crossing my fingers my katoom is finally fixed.

[ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS]

I'm still crossing my fingers my katoom is finally fixed.

What was wrong with it BO?

[BigEd]

Loved the Armish. Spent first half of 1997 in Ohio and they have a huge community there in NE Ohio and NW Pennsylvania. Very friendly but shy people. Terribly victimized over the years I believe.

I'll subscribe to this too... Reminds me, that them Zog is mighty quiet...

[TeeJay]

What's NOT LEGAL on that dash?

Been speeding?

[big oil]

I'm still crossing my fingers my katoom is finally fixed.

What was wrong with it BO?

1.  Erroneous fault warnings pop up on the TFT screen when there's nothing wrong with the bike.

Examples: 

Front Brake Switch Warning, when the front brakes are fully operational and there's no issue to be found.

Key Fob Not in Range, when the fob is in my jacket pocket or the compartment next to the TFT screen.

This may sound frivolous, but when I'm riding high speed or technical terrain and focused, the last thing I want is erroneous fault messages popping up on my screen in yellow and or red, it's an unneeded distraction.

This is not why my bike broke down on last years 6 month trip, stay tuned for the issue that left me stranded.

I let them do the following in addition to diagnosing the above:

2.  Broken mirror. Replace mirror.

3.  Leaking clutch master cylinder.

4.  Brake fluid flush.

5.  Upgrade ignition switch to new switch from KTM with shielded internal wiring.

[big oil]

Loved the Armish. Spent first half of 1997 in Ohio and they have a huge community there in NE Ohio and NW Pennsylvania. Very friendly but shy people. Terribly victimized over the years I believe.

I'll subscribe to this too... Reminds me, that them Zog is mighty quiet...

I too have spent considerable time in the regions you mentioned.  I agree the majority are friendly, peaceful, loving, and shy, I've found they are just like any other culture I've met in life.  Good, evil, honest, trustworthy, dishonest, cheats, etc., the regions you mentioned are some of the largest communities.  With the huge population, the elders have found the children are harder to control, therefore, new settlements are encouraged now to keep community populations around a few hundred. 

After working closely with many Amish clients over the years, their culture fascinates me, makes me sad, makes me happier than sad.  Just like any culture, some are too stupid to have a conversation with, some are brilliant, the elders feel the children require the equivalent of an 8th grade education.  They graduate school at 14 or 15 and do not attend trade schools or any further education that I'm aware of.  I'm pretty sure I know why the elders want the children done with school at 14, though I don't verbalize this to them, but I feel their customs are doing the children and the world a disservice by keeping, no keeping is the wrong word, they are not forced to stay, a better term would be brainwashed into believing leaving the Amish lifestyle will bring an unholy lifestyle and will/may lead to a warm afterlife,  specifically, these brilliant young people are fed a guilt trip to stay the course. 

I watch some of these kids, like Renovation Joe, 26, the kid is brilliant, and a pioneer, as he and others are leaving the community they grew up in, not taking the easy route by staying, or by moving to another established community, Joe and others are establishing a new settlement as you read this.  Joe is the black sheep of his family in his fathers eyes.  I don't know anymore details on why Joe's dad has this opinion of his eldest son, I have my theories.  I tend to feel Joe's dad lives out his regrets making Joe the black sheep.  Joe is intelligent, witty, well spoken, too intelligent sometimes, he bridges the gap between our culture and his better than any other young Amish man I've ever met and I think his dad has a hair up his ass for it.  Perhaps Joe's dad knows that Joe is going to be, if Joe chooses, to be more successful than him, and Joe's dad has done really really well for himself. 

To me, Joseph is the son I would've wanted my son to be.  I also see many other kids, at the library often, checking out several books at a time, in an effort to learn.  I admire their drive to learn.

I agree they're victimized, some of which, unfortunately, brought on by their own customs and beliefs.  If I had better writing skills, maybe someday I will, I'd like to write a book about what I've witnessed working closely with several communities.

Thanks for following 

[big oil]

What's NOT LEGAL on that dash?

Been speeding?

Practicing wheelies, so I had the traction control and abs switched off.

Speeding?  Me?  Nooooooooo 

[TeeJay]

What's NOT LEGAL on that dash?

Been speeding?

Practicing wheelies, so I had the traction control and abs switched off.

Speeding?  Me?  Nooooooooo 

Aaah okay - got it........

[big oil]

14 Aug 2019

Moving day for Joe and Rebecca.  I awoke at 4:45am, felt like my eyes were bleeding.  Turned the shower water to scold, lathered up, went back to sleep.

Awoke a 1/2 hour later.

Joe asked I come down at 6:15am, I was there at 6am so little Joe didn't worry himself much.  I was tasked with hauling Joe's friend's car hauler. 

Joe had a flatbed gooseneck trailer loaded high.  Also had a 30 foot gooseneck livestock trailer for the horses.

Typical of Joe, the trailer was stuffed to the max and most likely overloaded.  They had too much weight in the front of the trailer, thus too much tongue weight, but I let it ride.

Also typical of Joe, he had everything planned just right, so 4 trucks wouldn't be on his old property trying to hook up trailers at once.  He had me hook up first.  Not five minutes passed, a black Ford F150 showed up, it was Joe's friend from Bryan, Ohio, Rick.  Rick was assigned my trailer because it's much smaller and lighter, more suited for his naturally aspirated 5.4L gas V8.

They loaded up my bakkie bed with around 1/2 ton and the trailer weighed approximately 5 to 6 tons fully loaded by the seat of my pants feeling.  My bakkie did sag a little, but my truck is rated for 13,000 pounds towing capacity using receiver hitch, 18,000 pounds using a gooseneck or 5th wheel hitch, so it gave my bakkie a workout though she handled all the weight in stride.  I averaged 11.2 mpg for the trip north to Joe's farm, not bad considering all the stops and starts until one gets to the Interstate highway.




Everything was loaded except for a 1 more trailer load I'd have to come back for.  I was tasked with towing the car hauler, swap for my trailer, return to get last load, return to Joe's new farm, swap back to car hauler, bring car hauler back to Joe's old house, Rick would drop my trailer off there as well, swap back with my trailer, I'm done for the day.  Sure enough, while I was heading south with my trailer for to load up the last load, I saw the gooseneck flatbed traveling north, 45 minutes later, I saw the livestock trailer heading north.  Everything was working like clockwork.


It was a cool morning, typical, but the sun would come up soon.  I found the line in the clouds fascinating.




By the time I arrived back up north at Joe's new home, the livestock and flatbed were unloaded and gone, efficiency is Joe's middle name!

I averaged 16.2 towing my trailer south then north.

I went for lunch though I ordered brek food.

I then drove up to Okemos, Mitten to buy the new Apple Magic Mouse 2.0.

Then returned to Joe and Rebecca's to help more.

Around 4pm, it was time to haul a bunch of Amish folks south to their respective home.

I delivered all back home, I averaged 21.7 mpg with no trailer, good mileage for such a heavy truck with a 6.6L direct injected diesel.

Then I went to Joe's old home to retrieve my trailer, then drove back home.  I was tired. 

[Oubones]

I was tired!
Wonder why?
You pleasantly surprise me with your good heartedness!
Thank you for giving us some insight in the Amish and their livestyle!