At Last! At Last!

For twenty years the wife and I have been on the search for a wood burning cook range.
We have found several though the years ranging from the best of the best to the worst of the worst.

The closest I came to actually affording one of these stoves was a few months ago when a lady had one stashed away in a barn and was asking $400 for it. This was the cheapest I have seen so I was excited. It turned out it was all rusted out and missing several parts so I reluctantly passed on it, but glad I did. I really did try to talk myself into it. Most of the stoves I have seen for sell around these parts are priced from $1500 to $5000, way too rich for my blood.
Every friend, every family member and every stranger that would listen knew I was looking for one. Every consignment and antique store for miles around has my number and is instructed to call me if they hear of anything that comes up.
 If one came up for sell anywhere around I knew about it, but yet I could never find one I could afford.

A buddy of mine picked up his stove up a couple of years ago. He found it in a barn and bought it for $100. He got a beautiful, solid, antique range in great shape that could easily go for three grand on the market. He actually unloaded his truck right in the lady's yard so he could load the stove and get it home before she changed her mind. To say I was jealous is an understatement. Even though I was happy for him, I was sick to my stomach for not being able to find it first.

That same buddy called me this last week and asked me if I was still looking for a wood fired range. I simply answered that I was. He said he knew where one was if I wanted it. Being I have been through this several times before and the deal only ending in disappointment, I played along and I asked where and how much. He said it was in his front yard and to just come get it.
Okay, now he had my full attention to say the least. Being the skeptic that I am, I could only imagine the condition this thing could be in for my buddy to give this stove to me for little to nothing. At the most I figured it was just going to be more junk I would have to pile in the barn to maybe later restore somehow.

This is what I picked up last night.  

I can't believe after all these years I finally have my very own wood burning cook stove.
Right now it sits in the house just for decoration. After I get the outdoor kitchen done then it's final resting place will be there. I plan to do most of my cooking on the old Queen for many years to come.
I am giddy.