I met a true inspiration

I saw something the other day that I never expected to see here in a land full of cows and crops. Driving out thru farm land I happened to glance over my shoulder and what did I see but a freakin' 6 ft. Moai. I thought to myself, am I hallucinating? A Moai on a farm? Naw. Lo and behold on my way back I stopped in to inquire about this strange and wonderful apparition. The elderly lady who answered the door said her husband was out back by the barn carving another one, with a chainsaw no less. So I mosey on back, and ask the old man "How ya' doin'?" He answers slowly, "As good as can be expected I guess" Turns out this man is 87 yrs. old. Not only is he a farmer but he's an arteest! Here are pictures to prove it.

When I saw this car in his barn I asked him what it was. His reply, "That's a 1930 Plymouth, last of the wood spokes. One of these days I'll get busy and restore it." This man is 87!!

The image below is a repro of a civil war cannon.

Hallucinations in the Valley

Now back to my sandwich.

[ Edited by: Jungle Trader on 2004-04-30 23:13 ]

JT!! We get the ocean. You get cool old stuff. Score!!!

Man ,
Where else can you find a 30 Plymouth with wood spoked wheels in the barn, being guarded by a 6' Moai, and an 87-year-old cannoneer?
In the eighties, I use to pay a lot of money for such cool hallucinations. And your finding things like this by accident?! DAM JT! I wanna travel with you.

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga on 2004-05-01 00:03 ]

JT- where is this? I suspect I've gone right by on one of my journeys into the valley of darkness.

Martiki, the man lives out on west Main.

Let me know if you want to meet the guy. PM or e-mail.

My wife says she wants to meet him so she can see what I will look like when I'm 87. But I'd be lucky to be in such good health, coherent and still carving, especially with a wife like mine....HAHAHAHA. (jus' kiddin')

Did you ask him why the interest in moais?

Kono, he said palmwood won't burn, might as well make somethin' out of it. He has created other works on the farm, mostly from old farm equipment. Piles and piles of scrap parts.

wow, that is neat! Reminds me of some of the interviews in Roadside America, One old guy "while you were sitting inside watching TV, I was (take your pick) building a castle, making a village out of beer bottles or in this fellows case carving and staying creative. God bless him!

Wow JT, that must have been surreal. That MOAI looks like its carved out of foam or cast from resin. Is it painted? Did he have other tikis too??? Pretty cool find.

Rocky, you said it brah, God Bless him.

Poly Pop, he said he had 2 more out by the road but they were stolen. The thieves left him the one that frowns. Since then this one has been tightly secured. He painted them gray so be on the lookout. Maybe someday they will be recovered for him.