Life Observed

If you can't find an unusual angle , then stop when you see an unusual subject and consider if there might be a picture there. Maybe there is a story to tell.

We often use the term Agricultural as a pejorative term to describe something lacking in finesse or style. Well, there's certainly nothing delicate about this Category One top link pictured below.  We do, however, see a determined ruggedness evident in the design. The guiding principles of Agricultural design are these: If it's less than an inch thick, it will bend eventually. If it's less then half an inch thick it will break off and get lost.  Agricultural design is not always bad though, well designed farm implements will go on working for fifty years or more, so who's laughing now.

Today I return to a favourite subject of mine. The fifty year old Massey Ferguson 35 that lives and works on the farm in the village. We had one of these on the farm when I was young and I learned to drive on something very similar. This one is the later 3 cylinder diesel version. I think this is an icon of an object made for a purpose, one version even made it to the South Pole in 1958. It has all the bits you need and nothing extra. The fact that they are still seen in operation fifty years later is a testament to their original design. Long may it continue...