SYMBOL
This week, the Weekly Photo Challenge asks us to share a symbol and explain what it means to us.
Since we are using personal symbols — as opposed to universal, religious, or mathematical symbols — I’m using my old tractor.
My husband gave me the tractor for our tenth anniversary, just a couple of months after we moved into this house. I had admired them, lined up in front of the farm up the road and had noticed some of them were for sale.
I said “That would be so cool in the garden. Kids could play on it. We could climb it. It’s a reminder of our rural roots. An old farm tractor.”
About a week later, a flatbed truck showed up and dropped the tractor in our driveway. My son and a bunch of his friends pushed it into a better location. We found an old Model-T steering wheel and a long out-of-use license plate. Owen scored a seat on eBay.
We built a rock garden around it and planted the Japanese maple in front of it. The tractor can never be removed from the garden without completely deconstructing it.
For fifteen years, the old 1927 Fordson tractor has lived in the garden, surrounded by day lilies, rocks from the old stone fence in the woods. Roses trail over it. It’s part of the land, part of our garden, a symbol of our life here in the Blackstone Valley.
Some people think it’s rusty junk. They don’t have a clue.
Categories: #Flowers, #Photography, Blackstone Valley, farm, Home
Cool, rusty old thing.
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It is, isn’t it. Thanks 🙂
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How a tractor has become an intregal part of your garden and symbol of life is remarkable to read. Loved the photograph and whata creative take on ! Keep inspiring.
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I relate to our tractor. I’m a little old and rusty too 🙂 Thank you sweetie.
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What a wonderful piece of history that is now part of your history. And a beauty too
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It’s a cool tractor and the best anniversary present EVER 🙂
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Very creative idea. I love old vehicles, especially rusted old, well loved ones. Very nice photos!
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Thank you. It’s great having it there, too … always something interesting to photograph — and in all four seasons, too.
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What a great idea. I love the idea of children playing on it. Nice photos.
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Thanks. My granddaughter and other kids played on it when they were little. It was our version of a jungle gym.
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Sort of a hybrid eh? Us kids used to love to play on all the old farm equipment. Surprised we didn’t kill ourselves.
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My son nearly brained himself falling off the jungle gym in the park when he was little. This wasn’t nearly as high. They’ve made playgrounds so safe now they are hardly any fun at all.
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Pretty neat. Good photos and excellent memories related to the photos.
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Thank you 🙂
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That’s a cute story, love how you planted around it. Great idea!
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Once we had it sitting there, the rest just happened 🙂
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Lovely post!
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Thank you 🙂
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Oh wow…such a beautiful symbol! Love the fact that you have designed your garden around it. Truly priceless.
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It means a lot to me and shows up in many of my pictures. Now, I guess everyone knows why 😀
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Wonderful way to reuse some of these treasures! In a rock garden, I have planted marigolds in a rusty old wheel barrow rather than tossing it. The old machines and tools are a great reminder of days gone by.
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It’s the centerpiece … the unique thing about our house. To me, it says “US.”
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Rusty junk is the best. So let me ask you, since you’ve been married longer than me…. An old tractor is ok for an anniversary present but a vacuum cleaner is not? I don’t get it!
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A vacuum cleaner is a tool. For work. For housework, to be specific. An antique tractor is a decoration and one I specifically admired and said I wanted. It’s totally useless, but utterly wonderful. An incredibly thoughtful (and expensive!!) gift. Not every woman wants an antique tractor, but I love antiques.
It is hard to know exactly what anyone wants, but notice what she buys for herself. That’s what she likes.
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Well, how about an antique vacuum? I’m just joking around, Marilyn. I love the tractor and the shots you have here. It was a very thoughtful gift!
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It was a remarkable gift. It also meant — and this is the MOST important thing — he was listening to me. That means everything.
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Yes, I have noticed how much my wife notices when I actually listen to her! 🙂
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It improves relationships. A LOT.
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What? I think we have more in common with the old tractor than when we first got it.
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Yes, we do. Ironically, it has become more our symbol than it was in the beginning. Who knew?
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