End of an Era

In March of 1976, I purchased a brand new 1976 Chevy Pickup truck. It had the latest accessories, including an 8-track tape player. The color was Spring Green, my favorite. I bought a topper for it right away so that I could camp in it and could haul my stuff to college out of the elements. I added a CB radio in the CB heyday(breaker, breaker good buddy, this here's the "Man of the Land" looking for a bear report, 10-4?). It saw the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. I drove it to Florida and to Alaska. It's been to the mountains of Colorado and on fishing trips to Canada. I dated with it B.C., went on young group trips with it A.C., and after marriage, my wife and I camped with it. After our first child was born, it was our "car" with the baby's car seat stapped in the middle of the wide bench seat. In later years, it was relegated to work truck status. It hauled seed to the fields, and feed for our pigs and chickens. It ran errands and picked up parts at implement dealers.
In 2001, the family threw a 25th anniversary party for my truck and I, complete with cake. My daughter drove it to High School some as a novelty. Most of her friends had never seen an 8-track player. It became a multi-media truck with AM/FM/8-track/cassette/and finally a CD player. But time began taking its toll, and the decision was made to stop spending money on maintenance, insurance, and license. It sat forlornly in the yard, dirty and rusting with weeds growing up around it. A far cry from its illustrious past! I advertised it, but it attracted very little interest(how sad).
Today, a young man who likes old trucks stopped by and was willing to give it a new life. He paid me $100 and offered me visitation rights. At 8:00 this evening, a dear old friend left the farm. The Old Farmer bid farewell with a hint of sadness on his face, but has many fond memories to cling to at this time of parting. On-line condolences can be sent in care of this blog.



Ecclesiastes 3
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.