Start with the peak of tulip season, add 75 degree, blue-sky weather, and throw in a dash of spring break. What do you get? A train wreck of a visit to Mt. Vernon, Washington, to visit their tulip festival.

It started out fine. We spent the night in Mt. Vernon so we could get to the tulips early. The first farm we visited wasn’t crowded at all. That’s where I took these photos:

Happy wife … :-)

Rows of different colored tulips. I don’t have Ann or Daniel’s photos downloaded just yet, but I’ll post them Saturday morning.

Despite their beauty, I asked myself multiple times, What was I doing here??? Because, as soon as I saw a single tulip, I was done. Okay, been there, done that, pretty flower and all …. now let’s move on. But, I knew my darling and patient wife wanted to see the tulips, so I bravely marched along with her, showing off my sherpa skills as I carried two of three cameras she had with her. When we finished with the field, we left for a second destination.

By then it was 11:00 am and half of Seattle had descended into the Mt. Vernon valley. Parents were letting their kids run into the tulip rows (a no-no posted all over). Adults also wandered into the fields and, after someone told them to get out, they’d go back into them! At one point we got stuck in a traffic jam on the way to “Tulip Town“, only to learn that it was closed (full up). These people really were maniacs, suggesting little has changed since the tulip economic bubble of the 1630s.

After the hordes descended, Ann, Daniel and I were all done with tulips and we left in a rush.

We drop to Anacortes, then booked it for home, with a stop in Leavenworth where I had some pork and spaeztles.

PROST!

We didn’t arrive until late tonight, so no updates until Saturday morning.

UPDATE: Guy found a Youtube of Stevie Coyle’s Stairway to Gilligan:

Original post: Ann and I and her son Daniel joined my aunt and her beau for the 2016 Moisture Festival in Ballard (northern Seattle). The vaudeville celebration is always fun. Among the magic, juggling, comedy, and acrobatic acts my favorite was Stevie Coyle, a guy from San Francisco who played Stairway to Heaven on an acoustic guitar, but managed to sing the lyrics to Gilligan’s Island at the same time (A little research on Google showed this combination was first done by Little Roger & the Goosebumps in the 70s, but Coyle’s is far better). It was an unforgettable comic blend that worked surprisingly well!

So, no updates Today. Meanwhile, today we will be tiptoeing through Mt. Vernon’s tulip festival. This will make my wife very happy 🙂

In line at the Moisture Festival next to Hale’s Brewery in Ballard.

After the Festival and on our way out of Seattle we spotted this mural near Dick’s Drive-in on 45th in Seattle. Of course, I had to join them. My wife got creative with the extra images.

John Ittel bought this hydraulic lift a few months ago and has already restored it. This unit, sold through Mellen, began life on a 1948 CJ-2A from Northeast Washington State. The jeep and lift were barely used before the jeep and hydraulic unit were stored. There they sat for decades. Eventually, the lift was removed. Note that the green dual hydraulic piece shown was not a part of the system, but reportedly was installed on a different jeep that ran an extra large post hole digger installed on a 2A that operated in the Seattle area.

BEFORE RESTORATION (see more pics at the end of the post):

John provided details on the restoration:

I started the final mounting of the Farm Aid Lift. It is attached to a ’46 CJ2A. The rear unit mounts simply by using the existing bolt holes for the jeep draw bar.

The only problem was the two center bolts. This unit was designed without a consideration for using a PTO. I had to notch (cut off) one of the mounting holes on the lift because the PTO used this hole.

Since the hydraulic valve mounted between the seats I decided that rather than drilling holes in the floor for the hydraulic hoses I would run them along the floor and up through the firewall. The engine compartment is getting rather cramped.

Since the jeep has a Koeing crankshaft driven winch in the front I couldn’t use the crank to drive the hydraulic pump. I fabricated a bracket for the pump and strapped it to the generator. This is similar to the way a Hi-Low pump mounts.

The hydraulic reservoir is well designed.
–Unbolt the voltage regulator from the fender.
–Attach the tank to the fender using those holes.
–Mount the regulator to the tank by the provided tapped holes.
–Attach one tank bracket to the air cleaner bracket.
–Then attach the other to the battery hold down stud on the fender.

I had to have a new barrel made for the hydraulic cylinder because of severe pitting. I put in oil and fired up the jeep. Everything works.

Observations:
1. I see no way to mount any 3-Point tool (plow, post hole digger) to this unit.
It only extends about six inches beyond the rear bed of the jeep.
2. The hitch points are too high compared to other jeep hydraulic hitches.
3. There is no provision to bolt the front of the unit to the bed of the jeep.
4. Perhaps the only designed use is with the Mellon plow that is on your site.

After spending a few sleepless nights trying to figure out some good use for the Farm Aid I decided to make a little boom pole for it, but it only lifts about 18″. I can see why the previous owner removed it from his jeep.

The good news – This most likely is the only working Farm Aid Lift in the world, and is the fifth, now known, factory designed hitch along with Love, Monroe, Newgren and Stratton.

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