Patty Loew:
This week we welcome a new contributor to our statewide news magazine program. Michael Perry lives in rural Eau Claire County and is a popular author. His newest book is Coop: a Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting. Perry has been all over the country on a national book tour. But Wisconsin Public Television viewers can say they knew Michael Perry first. His humorous video essays have appeared on our sister program, "Here and Now," for the past six years. This week we debut Perry's first video essay for "In Wisconsin." A recovering farm boy, he has a fondness for trucks and tractors and as you're about to see, Perry reached the epicenter of that intrigue last summer in Madison.

Michael Perry:
How are you doing? I woke up at 6:00 a.m. this morning, 3 ½ hours south of my chicken coop and I looked out my hotel room window and there on the horizon, I saw a beautiful sight. This is my favorite version of the International Harvester logo. I don't know if I want to touch it. We got little peanut tractors and great big, ol' honking tractors. We're in Madison, Wisconsin for the International Harvester Red Power Roundup. This is the biggest collection of red paint you're going to find in the entire United States of America. It's a long haul from a horse drawn reaper in 1831 to this in 2009. This is a farm boy's dream come true here. You know what would be really terrific is if someone would take the beautiful old tractors, find a bunch of old International pickup trucks and have themselves a parade.

Man:
Did anybody bring a tow strap with them? Good, that means nobody will break down.

Michael Perry:
When you're offered the opportunity to be the marshal of the International Red Harvester parade, there's really only one answer. Away we go. Follow that tractor. This isn't just a parade. This is a pilgrimage. We have folks from all over the US that come to this event. If you like red paint, this is your day of worship. Sometimes you're in the parade and sometimes you're in the parade. I think we ran out of gas. If you like red paint, today is your day. Listen to that exhaust cap rattle. Sometimes a fella needs a little help, a little crank. All red all the time. I should mention that I do have friends who have a fondness for agricultural equipment of another color. But today is our day, and we'll still be friends tomorrow. There's a self help group for people who are obsessed with Internationals and it's called the International Harvester Collector's Club and you are looking at member number 429. It is a gorgeous IH logo in 3D. That's a beauty. I would like that for a tie clip. This is not a tractor show, it’s not a truck show. This is an art show. Here come a bunch of gorgeous old trucks. Ok. B model there, a woody coming through, three KD models in a row. Anybody who says an International isn't beautiful hasn't seen that truck. I'm not much of a gear head but I'm here today because I love International trucks. I love them so much, I wrote a book about one called Truck: a Love Story. And people ask me sometimes, they'll say is that a love story about a truck or a woman? I always ask, is there not room enough in a man's heart for both? I mean, look at her. For a farm boy, this is like going to the Louvre.

Patty Loew:
In a big way, Michael Perry's book Truck: a Love Story was devoted in equal parts to his then fiancé and all things International Harvester and after this week's report, you can understand why. "In Wisconsin" will feature more of Michael Perry's video essays in the coming weeks.