Pictured from left, Ron Neeb, Dave Proudlove and Clare McRobert relax before starting on their tractor journey to Tobermory and back on their antique tractors.
Three vintage tractor buddies recently took a long tour on their tractors from Gadshill, north of Stratford, to Tobermory and back again. Today’s modern tractors have a top speed of 50 km/hr but these cab-less tractors made in the ‘50s wouldn’t even do half that speed. In other words, they had lots of time to enjoy the open air of the countryside. Dave Proudlove from St. Marys, Clare McRoberts from Granton and Ron Neeb from Stratford gathered at Ron’s son’s Farm in Gadshill to begin the tour. The first stop along the way was to see the huge-case tractor collection of Shawn and Wayne Flewelling, just south of Tiviotdale at Perth County’s northern end. The trio made it easily to Elmwood on the first day to stay with hosts Reg and Lynne Hatton. The couple prepared a delicious meal of corn on the cob and hamburgers for supper – a real treat. After a roaring campfire and a good night’s rest in Reg’s fifth-wheel trailer, they joined him at 6:45 a.m. to head to Hanover and meet up with buddies at McDonalds for a coffee. They called their group the “liars club” and Ron Neeb says they were quite a hoot. After breakfast, the three headed north again, through Wiarton, Lions Head around Miller Lake, back south to Ferndale and then West to Miles Bay to stay the night with John and Cheryl Fenton. The Fentons were very hospitable and welcoming.They had prepared a delicious evening meal for the trio and after a great rest, headed out to Tobermory in the morning. They took a few side roads to avoid the busy Highway 6 and found themselves on some unmaintained roads. They were nothing more than four wheeler or snowmobile trails. The tractor drivers traversed wide spans of water that crossed the trails, not knowing how deep the water might be, but forged ahead anyway. That was a bit scary, but why worry, they were driving tractors and had a tow rope if the need arose. They made it to Tobermory by lunchtime and saw the Chi Cheemaun ship dock, unload its cargo of vehicles and get loaded again for the return trip to South Baymouth. After taking time to take a few pictures, the three headed south to their destination of Miles Bay to stay with the Fentons for a second night.They stopped at Cape Chin Bison, a Buffalo Ranch north of Lions Head, to pick up some bison burgers to be barbecued for supper that evening, and the trio said they were delicious. After another good evening of visiting and sleep, the guys headed back to Gadshill. The Fentons prepared a delicious breakfast each morning for the guys as well, and they went over and above to make the travelling trio as comfortable and as well-fed as possible. It's amazing to see such generosity still lives in the north country. It was a long day’s drive back from Miles Bay to Gadshill for the antique tractors and many people along the way gave them a farmer wave – a thumbs up or a toot of their horn. Seeing these old tractors on tour, no doubt, brought back memories of days gone by for many of the folks along the way.Neeb says that all in all, it was a great vintage tractor tour totalling 540 kilometres with lots of laughs on machines from days gone by.
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