Tag: Recycling

Deconstruction and Reuse is Child’s Play

Child’s play, you say? Legos are a perfect proof of concept when it comes to children’s instinct to construct and then deconstruct, reuse instead of demolish.

Children intuitively understand adaptive reuse:

Legos teach reuse at a young age. You build, take apart and rebuild using the same pieces. You wouldn’t throw away your Legos would you? So why throw away your home’s valuable materials? (reusenetwork.org)

This quirky little video (published on Oct 30, 2009 by the Deconstruction & Reuse Network) is a clever reminder why we should practice more sustainable building and renovation. It’s not rocket science, folks. Reuse! The organization’s mission statement is:

We’re an environmental and humanitarian public benefit corporation, promoting and empowering deconstruction practices and the reuse of quality building materials 501(c)(3). (Source: Deconstruction & Reuse Network)

Too bad they’re in California! I wonder, is their an equivalent deconstruction, salvage, reconstruction, repurposing and/or reuse organization in our area? All tips welcome.

Rosslyn & Reuse

In the early months of Rosslyn’s historic rehabilitation, adaptive reuse was not only environmentally responsible (think green renovation and green building) and architecturally responsible (think preservation of historic heritage), it was also a sentimental inevitability. We inherited such a vast array of architectural salvage from the previous owners — installed and in-use in all four buildings, but also stored away in the carriage barn. Such treasures! We couldn’t even identify everything (mysterious artifacts surface all the time), but we suspected that some day, one day many of these items would serve us (and Rosslyn) well.

One of the items that we removed from the previous owner’s woodshed was a pair of Greek Revival columns. They’re stored away in the carriage barn, hibernating, awaiting a creative reuse. Stay tuned for their next chapter. And, though most passersby are unaware, the flagpole mounted atop Rosslyn’s boathouse was once a sailboat mast!

Reuse is Child’s Play: digital watercolor derived from a video still (Image: Geo Davis)

Legos & DIY

In addition to the handy look at deconstruction and reuse, I also like the video above because it uses Legos. Legos! So accessible, and for many of us, so familiar. This ubiquitous children’s toy is one of our first introductions to the DIY way of thinking, subtly exposing youngsters to the idea of making, encouraging experimentation (and occasional failure) as well as reminding us then when it’s all said and done we can just deconstruct our creation back into its pieces in order to make something new. This ethos guides so much of Susan and my interest in and aptitude for what we call “greenovation” (responsible remodeling). We were both “Do it myself” kids, and now we’re a couple of “Do it myself” adults (who still feel like kids!)

February 12, 2010
John Deere Truckling Rehomed (and Renamed!)

Truckling’s New Owners, Lee and Heather Maxey (Photo: R.P. Murphy)

We told you last week that we’d decided it was time to “rehome” our John Deere “truckling”, and yesterday the handoff was made to Essex neighbors, Heather and Lee Maxey. Congratulations, and thank you!

The truckling (actually a John Deere AMT 626) has been a reliable workhorse for decades, literally. This 5-wheel predecessor to today’s John Deere Gators originally belonged to my parents who used it at their Rock Harbor home since the 1990s. They handed it down to us more than 10 years ago, and we put it to use during Rosslyn’s top-to-bottom building rehabilitations. Subsequently as we used the John Deere truckling as we created the gardens, orchard, and vineyard, and later as we restored the old meadows and began maintaining trails through the woods.

But wait… there’s more! We invested in a new 6-wheel Gator somewhere in there, and the John Deere truckling was eventually shifted up to ADK Oasis where it continued to perform reliably hauling landscaping materials, shuttling grass clippings and leaves, and basically fulfilling the perennial need for a utility vehicle capable of running across lawns without adversely impacting the lawns.

So, as far as we’re concerned, the truckling has earned her keep many times over! But treated well and serviced regularly, we figured it might still be of service to someone else. Given the age of the vehicle, however, we felt uncomfortable selling it. Wasn’t there somebody who’d like to swap us an intriguing narrative about how they proposed to use the truckling in lieu of payment?

Sure enough, we were approached with some great stories. Although we were torn between several including a musical retirement at the Meadowmount School of Music, Lee and Heather were so enthusiastic and brimming with captivating ideas. More on their plans in a moment.

Truckling’s New Owners, Lee and Heather Maxey, Heading Home (Photo: R.P. Murphy)

Rehoming the Truckling

Their vision for the truckling centered around gentle duty in service to their popular herd of alpacas. If you haven’t visited with these whimsical creatures near crest of Bull Run, I strongly suggest you stop by for a visit. As Heather eloquently explained, there’s a need for an alpaca “honey wagon”! Apparently they load up the alpaca “beans”, her euphemism, I believe, and deliver them to neighbors in want of fertilizer and mulch. A perfect task for the truckling, supporting the smiling alpacas who in turn make most everyone else smile as well. But the Maxeys are in the middle of a significant building project, and they had no difficulty dreaming up all manner of chores to keep the old utility vehicle feeling relevant even in its dotage.

But the most exciting by far? It turns out that Lee and Heather are going to be Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus for Christmas in Essex. The truckling, they surmised, would make the perfect “sleigh” to traffic the the Clauses from the ferry and through Essex. How could we possibly resist? We couldn’t. And so the decision was made.

John Deere Truckling Rehomed and Renamed! (Photo: Lee Maxey)

Renaming the Truckling

Now for now particularly good reason our family and friends have always referred to this 5-wheeled wonder as the truckling. Not clever. Not original. But it has stuck across the years. Until now.

The Maxeys, have decided that it’s time for a new name. Betty. Or Bette. I’m not 100% certain which it’ll be, but the logic ostensibly is a capricious nod to our last name. But is it Bette Davis (actress) or Betty Davis (singer)? I’ll clarify soon, but in either case flattery just may have been the icing on the cake. A new name and a new home.

Musical Mashup

What better way to sum it up than a video remix of Lee and Heather’s adoption of Bette/Betty…

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November 23, 2022
Re-Homing John Deere AMT 626

Re-Homing John Deere AMT 626 (Photo: R.P. Murphy)

Do you need a utility vehicle for your property? We’re hoping to “re-home” our John Deere AMT 626 John Deere “truckling”. Are you a good match? While our AMT 626 has been a reliable workhorse since, well, since forever (1990-ish, maybe?!?!) it’s old enough that we’re not feeling like a sale is the right option. We’re less interested in trading it for your hard earned loot and more interested in finding the best next chapter for this handsome beast of burden. Who can offer the most idyllic retirement (gentle work, lots of love, and maybe a nice nickname?) for this decades’ old John Deere?

Re-Homing John Deere AMT 626 (Photo: R.P. Murphy)

This 5-wheel legend was a hand-me-down from me parents about a decade ago, and we have pampered it with annual servicing and plenty of TLC. Yes, it’s vintage. And yes, it runs. Recently serviced by United Ag & Turf (August 2022) and, yes, it’s ready for a new property to tend.

Re-Homing?

Why are we re-homing the AMT 626 “truckling” instead of selling it? It’s old. And while it served my parents well, and us well, it’s tough to estimate how much life this iconic green utility vehicle still has in it. Hopefully plenty. But I’d feel uncomfortably extracting payment for a piece of equipment that might need to exit sooner than desired. That said, we have pampered this piece of equipment, and we’ll happily pass on the John Deere servicing department contact information with permission to share any information the new owner would like. I suspect it would be pretty unlikely that a better preserved AMT 626 is out there!

But there’s another aspect to this. So much of our good fortune as Rosslyn’s stewards has been inherited from generations before us. Responsible ownership, conscientious preservation, and magnanimous spirits account for the life we’ve enjoyed on this property. We endeavor to follow in that tradition. As it strikes me, our 5-wheel truckling is better inherited by someone who genuinely needs it, not just someone who can pay for it. And if the “truckling” provides reliable service well into the future, then we’ll be grateful. And if it turns out that it has earned its just repose and her reliable service is curtailed by circumstance, then nobody is worse off.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClE8gHjPv96/

Much in the same vein as our July 12, 2022 post “re-homing” of the Husqvarna EZ4824 zero turn mower we’re primarily keen to find a good match. The mower found a perfect home. Will the “truckling”?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf6Z4kROSKY/

Recent Servicing

Perhaps you remember our midsummer post about servicing the Gators?

John Deere Gator: Three Generations (Source: Geo Davis)

For the sake of accuracy it’s worth noting that the 5-wheeler technically isn’t a Gator. It’s a John Deere AMT 626, and it was the oldest of these utility vehicles in our fleet. We actually inherited from my parents when they sold their Rock Harbor home a couple of years ago. It’s vintage! But it was built John Deere tough, and I expect it’s got a good many years still in it. (John Deere Gator: Three Generations)

Here’s the moment they loaded up the AMT 626 “truckling” and headed off for servicing.

John Deere Gator: Servicing 1st and 2nd Generation (Source: Geo Davis)

In the photo above the older John Deere Gator (left) and the 5-wheel John Deere AMT 626 are loaded onto the flatbed for the journey north to United Ag & Turf for service.

November 17, 2022