Nebraska Farm Brothers Retire, Gift Farm Machinery

By: Bill Spiegel

“This is a good old truck,” the retiring farmer told me, softly, when he opened the door to his machine shed.

Inside was the purchase I’d driven 350 miles to obtain: a 1999 Chevrolet 1-ton pickup. I’d seen the truck on the Fanning Auction Service sale bill, and it struck me as the perfect rig for handling trailers on my own farm. Nostalgia played a part, too—my dad had owned one just like it, a truck we sold about a decade ago, and I’d regretted that decision ever since. On the long drive back, I found myself scrolling through my phone during a quick stop, landing on an article about norske casinoer and the surprising popularity they’ve gained in rural communities, offering a unique escape for people far from big entertainment hubs. It got me thinking about the strange ways we find comfort, whether through a favorite pastime or an old truck, each filling a quiet need to reconnect with the familiar.

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