Ricky Bobby and the Farmall Tractor

Brian and I can't walk into the next room without looking over our shoulders lately.

First, our doorbell rang at 2 o'clock the other morning. Campus security just wanted to let us know that some kids were running around the neighborhood shooting windows out of cars with a BB gun and our back window in our car had just been shattered. *&^*(^#!!! So we started feeling watched and vulnerable and ANGRY because our car insurance wouldn't cover the almost $400 repair. Brian, in his infinite automobile curiosity and wisdom, found a window at a junkyard and replaced it ALL BY HIMSELF today DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. The timing of his repair I would question, but the window is replaced, works perfectly and even came with its very own Nascar #6 sticker. All I want to do is race, Daddy.

Here's the fancy duct tape work before Brian's amazing replacement work:



So we were sad and suspicious about the car. Then the next day, we saw two teenage boys just walking around in our backyard. WHAT?! I let the dog out to bark at them and scare them off, and the dog didn't even bark. She just watched them cut through and across our neighbor's lawn.

Then last night we had a BIG storm and the thunder shocked Brian and me out of our beds at 3am. It was like our overhead light was on the lightning was so constant.
This morning, we found a limb had fallen in our back yard and landed on the cast iron International Farmall pedal tractor and BROKE IT IN TWO. What in the world. That tractor was supposed to be an heirloom or something.

The air was so heavy when I went out to inspect that the camera kept fogging up.



Here's a clearer shot:



I would not be able to get my arms around the diameter of that limb.
Henry was pretty upset. He cried a good while talking about how the "tractor got HURT" which just about made me and Brian start crying. Here he is trying to pick it up and make it work again:





Here are the wheels:



If you look closely through these branches, you can see Henry's yellow plastic bat, which did not sustain too many damages but we can't find it since the tree people left from chopping the tree down. Oh well. Henry hasn't noticed yet.



Here's a shot to show you how big the branches were. We are so so so fortunate that the limbs fell where they did. They could have fallen right on Brian and me in the bed. They could have ripped holes in our roof or our neighbor's roof. But it landed perfectly between our houses and right on that dang tractor.