Bringing the Farm 🚜 Life TO me..

Mad Dog_2

My dear mother Colleen (RIP) bought us this mailbox 📬 when we bought the Old Hitchcock Farmhouse  ..She thought it was adorable and Antiquish..but I never liked it because Id seen it around and it was too common  I like to be different.   Didn't wanna hurt Momma"s feelings so we installed it.  We lost the keys and you had to squeeze your hand in and scrape it good..Today I took nuts off and happily front kicked it off its base!  Good riddance.   I had to run to Kevin Richards 24/7 day 365 supply house in Brooklyn.  Got 3" Pipe and flanges. Thanks Eric and Stick..I told them about The Wall .. Bolted it in...  very 😊.   Mad Dogtc

EdTheHeaterMan

You need to get a pitch fork and stand in front of your mail box with your wife

Steamhead

And you need to install a "Moline" system to go with that mailbox

Mad Dog_2

Ha ha...20 years in...RIP ER OUT.....then we can try the Pall system!    Great Idea Ed...and I do have a 3 Pronged Old School Fork like that.  What a great show...."Oh Mr. HANEY...." Every farm kid called their hog pig , Arnold!!   And they had that female character actor ...Mrs...??? She had that accent that you first think is British..because its so proper & Spiffy...but it's not...Thurston Howell III $$ and Lovey had it too!  I think its Called "Transatlantic.."  William F Buckley, a Pen Pal of my Grandfather Norbert W Kearns, talked that way too..A Yalie....and Most of The Blue-Blood horse owners on the Racetrack..even my Uncle's Wife's Fambly from Harrisburg Penna High Society spoke that way.  They were first generation Czech,, but they were serious social climbers who wanted to BE, The Howells (but were tee-totallers ..no Martinis there!  It drove their grandchildren,  my first cousins crazy because they were stick in the mud snobs). The Grandfather was a Conductor for the Symphony and Grandma-ma was a College Professor of English.  Our shared Grandparents, Ethel & Norb Kearns were the polar opposite. They were super strict Devout Catholics, that wouldn't even sip Church wine!  At the wedding 💒, held at the Harrisburg CC, there was ZERO alcohol 🍸 for the occasion, they even went so far as to remove the regular bars alcohol from the premises or hid it good. My Father and Grandfather looked believe me.  Grandfather Norb, who enjoyed his daily Rye & Soda took my father and scouted the Small City for liquor stores.  11am.om a Sundee, they were all closed.  Hmm, where's the rough part of town?  Not hard to find.   They find a hole in the wall dive bar with like The Cream blasting on the juke box.  The bar was full.  Grampa Norb was not Rich from the Funeral Business but always had cash.  "My man...gimme 6 Quarts  of J.W.Dant Rye, 6 Beefeater Gin, 6 Smirnoff Vodka, 6 Bacardi rum, 6 Jack Daniel's.  The guy had to go to the basement to supply this "Dry" Wedding. They get back to catch the second half of the "dry cocktail hour" and my father Bart Jr. And Gramps set the liquor out on every table...SO THERE!  So much for forcing your mores on us!  The Guests, 95% drinkers and smokers (this was 1966) attacked.the liquor like 🐒 monkeys on a pallet of Chiquita Bananas!  The uptight hosts were HORRIFIED but could do nothing...the party was on....The boring 😴 5 piece easy-listening band were straight out  bribed...I think Grandpa Norb gave them $ 50 each and they were only paid $25 Each for the gig.  Immediately, the super-boring shindig came alive with everything from the early  Beatles & Stones, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Elvis, Patsy Cline, Herb Alpert, Bill Haley, et cetera. The wedding 💒 rocked and The Bride (my future Aunt)  & Groom.(Mothers Brother, Norb Kearns Jr.  MD) had a blast. The overridden In laws sulked in the corner!  Ha ha.  The Irish-German New Yorkers would NOT be denied a Good time.  I
 Building a Taproom on the Property and I gave my grandparents Bar Stools and the wall hangers of both my parents bar and grandparents bar in boxes for display. Alot of History took place at The Kearns and Sweeney Fambly home bars.  At my Grandfathers Howard Beach Queens home; he hosted Army Intelligence Officer, Fordham Law School Graduate and Former FBI Agent ...and....ahhh (Watergate "burglar"?? politics!), G Gordon Liddy, directly upon his release from Prison.  They had a press conference with the African American NYC TV reporter, Bill Mc Cleary, lovely man!.  I sat on G Gordon's Lap.  The TV crew's were all over and Howard Beach was. a buzz with the excitement ☺ and for once it wasn't about a Mafia Boss that lived there!  Grandpa hosted the Chases and Keightly's - our direct connection to Harriet Beecher Stowe (and, they never let you forget it..) The Cartoonist, Dik Brown Hagar The Horrible.  The guy who did Family Circle & Lil Abner.  NYS Senator Jim Buckley,, Williams F's Brother, whom my grandfather campaigned gard for.  Nice man great Flat Top crew cut...like a Brush..he used to let me run my hand on it!  President Nixon's Inner Circle.of Advisors H.R.Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and a few SS agents.  They were considering Norb for an advisory position in The First Administration. Didn't get it but Gram and gramps attended both inaugural Balls, both Weddings and several Christmas Parties at the White House.  Red Smith, The Great Sportswriter of the Day, John Santucci, the very powerful, Democrat 30 year Queens District Attorney who lived across the street in Ozone Park and my Mom Colleen babysat all the kids.  The were our Eye-talian Fambly!   My Grandfather, a super savvy amateur politcal strategist and great writer with a 1936 Degree in Journalism from St Johns University, was a close friend and confidant of The DA.  Countless other well-known, Neighborhood power brokers including a few friendly wiseguy neighbors and businessmen.  My grandfather also counseled & Advised Jim Mc Cann, the founder of 2.800.flowers.  Their original shop was across The intersection of Lefferts & Liberty Avenue and did daily business with Leo F Kearns Funeral home, of which my grandfather and  4 brothers were partners..  My  older brother Big Bart attended a Business Lecture and meet & Greet and Bart got talking to Jim anout the old neighborhood and he praised Norb and their long chats about Life and business...talk about fambly.pride!   My Father Bart's bar, which he hand built, was the gathering 🤣 place every Saturday 🌙 Night year.round. being a Horseman, We had mostly Racetrackers and fambly friends over.  Ron Turcotte, The great Hall of Fame Jockey 🏇 who rode Riva Ridge and Secretariat to his
Smashing 1973 Triple Crown Victories, Eddie Maple & lovely  Wife Kate, The Great Horse Breeder and trainer Dave Rich, his wife and 4 great Boys Dave Jr, Steven, John and Jimmy..Nick Combest -Great jockey & Trainer and his wife Marianne,  Don Mc Coy great trainer & Jockey.  James Fitzsimmons Jr. Sunny Jims Son.  Angel Cordero & and his lovely & Lively Wife Santa...Georgie Velasquez,  Legendary Starter and creator of The first Electric Staring gate in racing.  United Starting Gates are still used on EVERY racetrack in the world!  All of our Favorite Nuns from St Helen's Catholic School including Sister Hannah Marie Cox from Da Bronx who taught Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and is mentioned in his autobiography as one of the two most helpful, inspiring mentors of his life!  Sister Pat, Sister Ilene...Papa would always have the Nuns cracking up and Blushing...they were fambly too.  They were at every party. He'd say things like, "You've got a great set of legs there sister!!!"   Mind you, this didn't mean I still didn't get my hands whacked by Sister Hannah during the week...It was a badge of honor 🎖 and street cred with the other Howard Beach ⛱ kids...Besides that, I deserved it.   We never resented it and we all learned to behave and not be too wild.  Great times..what were we talking about again???  Ha ha....Mad dog

johndeere1937

Like the John Deere mailbox. I've got 3 A's, 1 B, 1 D, 1 H, and 1 G but no mailbox!! Lol

Jamie Hall

We're more Ferguson/Massey Ferguson people. We've got four of them -- the only two really interesting ones are the TO20 which we bought new in 1951 and still runs just fine, and a 35 which is newer -- 1954.

mrhemi

EdTheHeaterMan

How Fast can you open a mail box?

Mad Dog_2

I love all 🚜 Tractors...Massy Fergs.. cool Allis Chalmers..mad

Mad Dog_2

I won't even tell what the 3" x 36" Galvanized pipe & 2 - Flanges cost...had to run 🏃‍♂️ in to Brooklyn mad Dog