by Delbert Trew
There are few farm collectibles that rank in historical value and necessity quite like the windmill. One of the first priorities of the homesteader was to dig and equip a domestic water well. Volumes have been written and researched on the subject.
Recently a new twist came to the Trew Ranch concerning windmills. Sixteen years of intense rain water harvesting rendered the windmills on the ranch obsolete. The equipment was removed, the towers taken down and the wells capped in case they were ever needed again. As a result, I had three nice welded pipe towers to sell.
An ad in the San Angelo Livestock Weekly stated, "Windmill towers wanted, wheels and gears not necessary." I answered the ad by phone and the following strange twist came about.
The ad came from the Dallas area and the wheels and gears not necessary brought about the question, what the heck did they want with bare towers? I put the question to the Alanreed Coffee Shop regulars. We guessed light towers around an arena, wind turbine towers and even solar panel towers. When the return call came I asked the purpose of the towers?
It seems they have a prime hunting lease in South Texas with quail, dove, wild turkeys and deer. They have heavy brush but no large trees. Therefore, they have no place for the turkeys to roost at night and predators keep killing their turkey flocks. They hope to convert the ex-windmill towers into turkey roosts. You could have heard a pin drop in the coffee shop.
Heads up folks! Think now! Visualize the traditional old creaking, clanking windmill, which made living on the prairie possible, its tower now sitting amongst heavy brush, silhouetted against the beautiful sunset, holding up a flock of turkeys roosting for the night. This vision almost caused an aneurism among the old coffee drinkers. After two refills, the sight became somewhat plausible.
No comments:
Post a Comment