Caught at the Crossroads

 

This mower looks to be from the 1930's and was used for haying. Guessing, it looks to be a John Deere horse drawn No.3 sickle mower, produced from 1935 to 1947. It rests in rusty retirement in a field on Intervale Road, not far from the complicated and comfy gizmo in use at the corner of Morse and Intervale Roads a mile away, seen below. Many of the mowers from that era were horse-drawn, or just after, towed by a tractor. Contrary to popular belief, the hay does not have to be brown for it to be ready to mow. The sickle was improved over time so that the hay was more efficiently cut so that it dried faster, and baling could proceed quicker. The faster the drying, the more nutrients the hay retained.

Now, this mower shortens the already short and manicured greens on the Pineland grounds, the multi-use business campus located in New Gloucester. Only one wayward leaf is evident on the entire lawn. And it looks like the mower is about to devour it.

The driver is wearing headphones but there also looks to be an antenna from the earpiece. Maybe there is some music playing inside the earpiece?

The technology changes but the grass still grows, is mowed, grows…

The Monument: Prata photos