Now would be a good time for me to quit.

[37chief]

After paying 97.00 to ger my 96 dodge V 10 tractor hauler to pass smog check. Then paying 347.00 and 184.00 fine because I was late sending in my license fee. Insurance for my truck, and liability insurance for my mowing work. I'm just about ready, after over 35 years cutting weeds to quit. I got rid of my long distance driving jobs. The ones have now are fairly close, and easy jobs. At 84, I still like getting out with my tractor. Most every thing is cut this year for fire brakes. I will see how next year goes. It's hard to stop doing something I like. Enough for now. Stan

 

[Steve in VA]

After paying 97.00 to ger my 96 dodge V 10 tractor hauler to pass smog check. Then paying 347.00 and 184.00 fine because I was late sending in my license fee. Insurance for my truck, and liability insurance for my mowing work. I'm just about ready, after over 35 years cutting weeds to quit. I got rid of my long distance driving jobs. The ones have now are fairly close, and easy jobs. At 84, I still like getting out with my tractor. Most every thing is cut this year for fire brakes. I will see how next year goes. It's hard to stop doing something I like. Enough for now. Stan

It is hard to step back. Good luck.

 

[rrlund]

I hear you. Darndest things is, even though I think about quitting every now and then, I actually thought more about it when I was younger. Now that I could do it, the appeal isn't as strong. Today is one of those days I could walk away with no regrets. Thing is, the wife's greenhouse and seed business is thriving. She said she would shut it down if I wanted to retire, but she can't sit still and has to be doing something. I don't want to go off and do things without her, so as long as she keeps going, I will too I guess. We got away for two days last week and even though we didn't do anything special, it was still the best trip ever. If every day could be like that after retirement, I'd be on the phone with an auctioneer and realtor right now.

 

[scootergmc]

After paying 97.00 to ger my 96 dodge V 10 tractor hauler to pass smog check. Then paying 347.00 and 184.00 fine because I was late sending in my license fee. Insurance for my truck, and liability insurance for my mowing work. I'm just about ready, after over 35 years cutting weeds to quit. I got rid of my long distance driving jobs. The ones have now are fairly close, and easy jobs. At 84, I still like getting out with my tractor. Most every thing is cut this year for fire brakes. I will see how next year goes. It's hard to stop doing something I like. Enough for now. Stan

Ha. You can't quit. You post something similar every year! Keep it up. Feed the state beast with those exorbitant license and late fees as well. That bullet train ain't gonna build itself!

 

[Vito]

I hear you. Darndest things is, even though I think about quitting every now and then, I actually thought more about it when I was younger. Now that I could do it, the appeal isn't as strong. Today is one of those days I could walk away with no regrets. Thing is, the wife's greenhouse and seed business is thriving. She said she would shut it down if I wanted to retire, but she can't sit still and has to be doing something. I don't want to go off and do things without her, so as long as she keeps going, I will too I guess. We got away for two days last week and even though we didn't do anything special, it was still the best trip ever. If every day could be like that after retirement, I'd be on the phone with an auctioneer and realtor right now.

Well stated. I'm a few years away from that decision and wife is 7 years younger. My father worked till he was 78. Not sure if I want to go that long. Sad part is going to work is all I know.

Vito

 

[rrlund]

Well stated. I'm a few years away from that decision and wife is 7 years younger. My father worked till he was 78. Not sure if I want to go that long. Sad part is going to work is all I know.

Vito

Same here. My wife is seven years younger too. Dad said he was going to quit milking cows when he hit 75. He fell and banged up a shoulder then broke his hip at around 74, so he had to quit. A few years later, I mentioned selling the dairy cattle myself and his voice cracked, he practically broke down crying and said "I wish I could milk cows again." He got so bored, he turned in to somebody who was so negative that I didn't even know him anymore. He'd always found humor in everything and at the end he practically hated his own shadow.

 

[Keith Molden]

I baled 1 field of hay this year and after I did it, I quit. It was a decision I made while baling and I have no intention of going back to doing hay. I really enjoyed it but at nearly 79 It's time and the enjoyment is gone out of it. Nothing happened but I decided it was time. I sold one of my tractors, round baler, mower and V rake last year and let the guy that bought it have all but 2 fields. I bought another rake and baler and still had a mower to do those 2 fields with but decided enough was enough. So the neighbor that has 1 of the fields still wants me to do his field and I will let him use my equipment while I'm there watching him but I won't be doing it. I'm tired

 

[MARK ROBKE]

After paying 97.00 to ger my 96 dodge V 10 tractor hauler to pass smog check. Then paying 347.00 and 184.00 fine because I was late sending in my license fee. Insurance for my truck, and liability insurance for my mowing work. I'm just about ready, after over 35 years cutting weeds to quit. I got rid of my long distance driving jobs. The ones have now are fairly close, and easy jobs. At 84, I still like getting out with my tractor. Most every thing is cut this year for fire brakes. I will see how next year goes. It's hard to stop doing something I like. Enough for now. Stan

Never really quit, just slow down a little at a time! Mark.

 

[da.bees]

It's shameful that bureaucrats fine an 84 year old for elapse in memory and performance while rewarding 40 YOs sitting on porch doing nothing. I wager 80% of welfare recipients drive cars later model than 96.

 

[Jaden]

I saw a survey that said 49% of retired people are bored. Don't just quit; move to something else if necessary.

 

[47fivewindow]

If something cost you more than you can make it's a hobby. Everyone needs a hobby. Do what makes you happy.

 

[J.Wondergem]

Yes but I think Ca is dying for money. They're milking people now. I drove truck until I was 82. 60 years was enough for me.

 

[rrman61]

I’m 64,9 months to retirement.I have about a year and a half of honey do’s after retirement.then a 1650 and 1950 Oliver to bring back to life.I won’t have time to get bored!

 

[Tony in SD]

Im finding that when the pain (what ever kind) is greater than the pleasure, it is time to make a change.

 

[Randyscottsboro]

Im finding that when the pain (what ever kind) is greater than the pleasure, it is time to make a change.

Amen brother.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I turn 77 Monday, I retired in '14 at 65 and the first five years were good then each year things got worse. Did 1500-1800 bales a year with the wife helping but it's got so hard for me to even lift a bale. My back, hips and shoulders are shot. Even the simplest chores are painful. Turned the haying over to a cousin on shares last year. He custom bales a few places near me so I'll ted and rake for him to satisfy my urges. Haven't gone as far as selling equipment yet, keep thinking I may get better.

 

[showcrop]

I am 77, and last year was my last making hay. The equipment is pretty much all gone. It had been going well, and since I was down to just 15 acres on four parcels, I could choose when to mow and hadn't gotten any rained on if maybe ten years. What ended it for me was the nagging worry over what happens when I get three hundred bales rained on so that they can't be sold for feed. Taking care of them myself was not something I wanted to think about.

 

[showcrop]

I hear you. Darndest things is, even though I think about quitting every now and then, I actually thought more about it when I was younger. Now that I could do it, the appeal isn't as strong. Today is one of those days I could walk away with no regrets. Thing is, the wife's greenhouse and seed business is thriving. She said she would shut it down if I wanted to retire, but she can't sit still and has to be doing something. I don't want to go off and do things without her, so as long as she keeps going, I will too I guess. We got away for two days last week and even though we didn't do anything special, it was still the best trip ever. If every day could be like that after retirement, I'd be on the phone with an auctioneer and realtor right now.

After four years of restoring my Datsun roadster and looking forward to the drives we would take. When it was finally on the road my wife couldn't sit in it for over thirty minutes. She is out two evenings a week teaching at church and I go to cruise nights with it and meet friends there.

 

[rrlund]

After four years of restoring my Datsun roadster and looking forward to the drives we would take. When it was finally on the road my wife couldn't sit in it for over thirty minutes. She is out two evenings a week teaching at church and I go to cruise nights with it and meet friends there.

I keep saying, if I ever find something I'd rather do, I'd retire and do it, but I haven't found anything yet. A friend said "Work on tractors". I do work on tractors, daily users and show tractors. I need variety and have to get out of there and do something else. That's how it is with traveling. We both love it, but we need something to get away from and come back to. Without that, I just don't know that it would be as much fun.

Life is too unpredictable to make plans based on how you think things will go. Dale and Emma Tibbe bought a house in Wisconsin to be closer to their kids and grandkids, sold their farm here in Michigan and moved over there. They had an auction in September, moved in October, then she was diagnosed with cancer in December and died in February. He was back home here in September and stopped in. He said he as miserable. Waking up alone every morning in a strange house, in a strange town where he didn't know anybody, the kids were at work every day, grandkids were in school. He said he never should have done it. He could still be at home farming a little and working in the shop that he had built just the way he wanted it.

I tell everybody that I've worked all my life to get to where I am and I'm not going to quit just because of a date on a calender. There are days though, I'll tell you that.

 

[rrlund]

I baled 1 field of hay this year and after I did it, I quit. It was a decision I made while baling and I have no intention of going back to doing hay. I really enjoyed it but at nearly 79 It's time and the enjoyment is gone out of it. Nothing happened but I decided it was time. I sold one of my tractors, round baler, mower and V rake last year and let the guy that bought it have all but 2 fields. I bought another rake and baler and still had a mower to do those 2 fields with but decided enough was enough. So the neighbor that has 1 of the fields still wants me to do his field and I will let him use my equipment while I'm there watching him but I won't be doing it. I'm tired

That's how it was with my cousin. He had already rented out some of his ground, but was farming enough to finish out some steers. I was supposed to haul a load to the stock yard for him on a Monday morning. He stopped over Sunday night and said he couldn't get the gate shut behind them, so forget it. He said when he caught them, they were all going and he was done. He'd rent out the rest of the ground too. That what happened. He wasn't bluffing.