Down on the Farm! 

This re-posting is number six in my series from the farm communities. 

On March 28, 2018 in Union Suit Fan, I featured Farmer Ben of Frewsburg, NY who had stripped down to his bright red union suit while standing, of all places, in the box of his Gehl Scaventer manure spreader. I suppose he didn't want his clothes to get all dirty and smelly. 

Ben's just another hard-working farmer doing what has to be done to keep the ole' home place jumping. Like the Farmer and his Scarecrow in my previous posting, I wonder if any of Ben's neighbors happened by to ask him what in the world he was doing outside working in just his "long red flannel winter underwear!"

Wouldn't you have liked to have seen him jump out of that contraption?  

Wonder what his boots looked like. Second thought, maybe not.

Courtesy of Duluth Trading Company, Duluth, MN

                                                True Rustik Grit  

See how a young man spent the night alone in his abandoned 130 year old family farm house. Is the structure haunted after all those years? 

This, the fifth posting in my series, Down On The Farm.

 

Near dusk out in the front yard, he jumps and is magically transformed into his pj's.... 

And in his case, like many of us, the "pj's" a red union suit!  

The night promises to be on the chilly side so....

 

 what's better than warm, long-handled underwear?!  

 

Before bedtime, he tours about the grounds to be sure that all is in order.... 

 

Neither barefoot nor in socks,a guy's got to have appropriate footwear when outdoors.

Boots are the ticket. 

 

 

It's sunset in this neck of the woods, so he pulls on a jacket over his union suit

 for one last walk around his property as the sun sets: 

 

 

And, all too soon it's time to say good night and off to bed: 

 

It's been a long, exhausting day. And, it's bound to get colder. 

A warm union suit for sleeping is a great choice:

   

Turning off the light on his radio, he nestles in his bed roll 

for a mighty comfortable snooze.

 

What?  Morning, already??

 

It's rise and shine with sleepy eyes.... 

 

Out to the front door he goes, checking the morning, attempting to wake up. 

It's time to investigate the beginning of a fabulous new day. 

 

From a creek, he rescued a plastic bag of eggs he had placed there to keep cool the day before.

 

 

Placing them in a skillet to fry, he'll soon be ready for a hot cup of tea and a satisfying breakfast. 

Who needs clothes? His union suit underwear

 will do just fine as the morning warms up. 

He's famished for breakfast.

You'll want to see more video of this find, hard-working, 

home remodeling union suit fan. So, Just click and

paste the following links. This kid is pretty entertaining.... 

https://youtu.be/AhUr9SCCKjw?t=489      Changing into "PJs"

     https://youtu.be/AhUr9SCCKjw     His Full Video

Thanks to my good friend, Ken, who contributes

to Union Suit Fan often with good stories and photos,

including Rustik Grit.

Happy Thanksgiving, Union Suit Fans!  Enjoy Your Turkey Today!

What's a Gobbler wearing after he's been plucked of his feathers? 

          A Fowl Union Suit, of course!

A Reluctant Love Story

     by Andrea of Duluth Minnesota, Guest Contributor

My young son and daughter enjoyed a delightful book I recently found for them at Duluth Public Library, Rosebud and Red Flannel. Rosebud was a dainty, well made nightgown and Red Flannel was a quite well worn red union suit. 

The Simon and Schuster publication was written by the very talented author, Ethel Pochocki, and wonderfully illustrated by Mary Beth Owens. It reminded me so much of your recent posting, Chris, of your mischievous scarecrow in "Down on the Farm" who also wore a red union suit like Red Flannel inthis story.  My kids and I thought your farmer and his scarecrow caught standing by the side of the road dressed in nothing but their "long red flannel winter underwear" was a hoot!

In Rosebud and Red Flannel, both the nightgown and the union suit were gifts the husband and wife exchanged one Christmas. The couple  lived on a farm with their children where the family laundry was typically hung outside on a line to dry.  

Hanging out year after year with the shirts, socks and underwear, Red Flannel became enamored with the beautiful Rosebud. She, however, did all she could to ignore him, believing an old suit of bright red long underwear was beneath her her dignity.

In order to get her attention, Red Flannel would do tricks in the wind like somersaulting over the clothes line and tying himself up in knots. Although the other underwear, socks, shirts and such, drying on the clothesline, found him quite amusing, Rosebud was unimpressed. 

 

One day, a brutal snow storm hit the area.....

....and before the family could remove their clothes from the clothes line! Rosebud and Red Flannel, along with the other clothes, were torn from the line and blown far away! 

For awhile, the red flannel underwear was caught in a tree. But, the wind was so strong, the tree lost it's grip on the union suit and it continued its journey... 

When the wind finally subsided, Rosebud found herself atop Red Flannel, frozen and trapped together until spring when....

...a farmer on a property miles away found a woman's nightgown and a man's union suit there in his field among the cattle. Scratching his head, he wondered, "what can I do with wet, muddied long flannel underwear and a night gown?"  

And then it struck the farmer: he 'd use the gown and union suit to create scarecrows for his field of crops in order to scare away the pesky birds. So, that's what he did....Rosebud and Red Flannels finally found a permanent home where they would enjoy each other's company, day and night!

Thanks Andrea. Always good to hear from you....Chris

Andrea's book review is the fourth in my series, Down On the Farm.  More coming soon.

This book would make a great Christmas gift for your young children or grandkids!