Crankin' It Up: A New One For You This Friday!

We got home kind of late, but we wound up the old phonograph and have Isham Jones uploaded to YouTube before bedtime. "Away Down South" was recorded in August, 1922.

Crankin' It Up: A Re-Post

I couldn't get to the old Brunswick Thursday night, so I picked out a record we posted two years ago. The title reminds me that the fall Boonville show will be coming up soon; October 14-16.

If I can work in some time with my old phonograph on Friday, you all will get a bonus record this week.

Shop At Woorich Elite; Support Project Valour-IT!

 Jerry Rinder, Vice President of Woolrich Elite, announced to all the Gun Blogger Rendezvous attendees that Woolrich will be donating 2% of all sales through one of their dealers to Project Valour-IT for the next six months.  You can help keep wounded soldiers connected to their loved ones by Shopping At This Link.

Project Valour-IT is one of Soldiers' Angels' projects, and it provides voice activated laptops to wounded warriors so they can stay in touch with family and friends.

Here's A Little Change Of Pace

One of the gas engine displays at Pinckneyville last month was a group of engines for sale. This military surplus engine appeared to be new-old-stock, and the flat-four design gave it a really sweet sound when revved up. I'm guessing that it could have been built for use in generators and other stationary uses. The tag lists Teledyne as the maker.

Spike Update

We last visited Spike three years ago as I was attempting to tame him down.  He is a very much a one person cat, and most nights I can coax him into the garage (safe from coyotes) by calling out "Tuna Treats!"  He still won't let me pet him outside for some reason, but once he is locked in safely he usually will let me pick him up and pet him.

A Lifetime Of Opportunities And Joy

You would be hard pressed to find something better than the shooting sports for a lifetime of achievement and fun.  Here we see two world champions; Quick Cal, the Cowboy Fast Draw Association's current World Champ, and Molly, the Women's Unlimited Revolver Steel Challenge 2011 World Champion.  Molly isn't quite old enough to earn a driver's license, and I think Quick Cal qualifies for senior discounts.  Shooting is something that you can do all your life, and you don't have to even be very good at it to enjoy it; but with determination and practice you can achieve a bit of fame while having a great time.  And, speaking of great times, watch the video below to see some of the activities at the range during the recent Gun Blogger Rendezvous.  Pour a cup of coffee first; it's a long one.

It Never Lets Up

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

Recorded in 1908 by Alice Nielsen. Shared with us by Pax41.

Weekend Steam: Forest City

Old Farm Show has posted several videos lately of Midwest steam shows. These are from the show at Forest City, Iowa: you can see all of them HERE.



Barb: I think the old Hart Parr in the second vid has the correct colors for an early one.

Get Out And Shoot!

This is the last weekend to shoot the September Mr. Completely e-Postal contest, so CLICK HERE to print the target, and read the rules.   Print plenty, and take family and friends to range.   This contest is designed to be fun, and even a novice can score, and experienced shooters may score high...maybe.

Crankin' It Up

Ted Weems and His Orchestra perform a jazzy little Fox Trot for our dancing pleasure. Recorded February 22, 1924.

GBR-VI: The Inside Story!

I've been sorting photos, and I have too many from the Reno Rendezvous to share in one video. This slide show shares some of the good times we had in our meeting room at the Silver Legacy, the prizes, and the excitement of the raffle on Saturday night. Zeke and I missed the visit to Cabela's, but you can see some good shots of that over at KeeWee's blog.  The next slide show will be photos of the range activities, and Cowboy Fast Draw, so stay tuned!

When you are done looking at all the great prizes and swag, review the list of sponsors and supporters who made it all possible, and click on a few to look at their websites and products.  They are all good companies, and good people.

• Project Appleseed
• Brownell's
• Cabela's Reno
• Cowboy Fast Draw Association
• Crimson Trace
• Front Sight Training Institute
• Glock
• GunUp Blogger Network
• Hi-Point Firearms
• History Channel
• J. Dewey Manufacturing
• Leupold
• Lucky Gunner Ammo
• Magnum Shooters Supply
• Midway USA
• National Rifle Association
• National Shooting Sports Foundation
• Otis Technology
• The Packing Rat
• Palomino Valley Gun CLub
• Para-USA
• Pro-Ears
• Sage Hill Reno Rustlers
• Sig Sauer
• Smallest Minority
• Springfield Armory
• Sturm, Ruger, and Co.
• Top Shot
• Weatherby
• Western Nevada Pistol League
• Woolrich Tactical

The Automation Is Incredible!

We saw this dandy gadget at Pinckneyville.

The Knife In My Pocket

Everyone is showing off the favorite knife in their pocket, and this Gerber Mini Covert goes with me nearly everywhere.  It's just under 3", so it's legal to have with me most places I go in Illinois, it stays closed in my pocket, and I can flip it open without even touching the thumb stud.  It takes a pretty decent edge quickly when I use a diamond hone, and the large serrations are easy to touch up with a little chainsaw file.

Flinders, Smithereens, and Etc.

This is all that's left of a power pole a half mile south of our house.  The surge protector in our battery backup was fried, but the modem and 'puter are good.  Lightning's kinda scary.

A Bad Way To Die

Way back when I was in junior high school, one of my buddies told me about a horrible accident that his grandfather had witnessed while working on a threshing crew. The threshing machine was an old model, covered with wood rather than sheet metal like the newer models, and a fellow was up on top of the machine for some reason; directly above the spinning cylinder that knocks the wheat out of the hulls and off the stalk. The wood that the fellow was standing on failed, and he dropped right into the machine onto the cylinder. If you take even a casual look at the thresher cylinder in the photo, you can see the result wasn't pretty. My friend's grandfather told him that you could literally see the blood drain out of the man's face.

The reason I bring up this unpleasant tale is that lots of people still run these old machines, and the old-timers aren't around anymore to pass on the knowledge they picked up the hard way. When you see someone in a potentially dangerous situation around old machinery, for Heaven's sake, speak up. You might save someone's life. Scroll the slider over to 2:45 on the video below, and note the fellow on top of the thresher. I bet he isn't even thinking about the spinning teeth just inches below his feet.

Ready Or Not

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: This Could Have Been One Of My Roommates...

Posted by Victrolaman.

Sig Sauer, Soldiers' Angels Supporter!

 Sig Sauer, one of the many generous supporters of Soldiers' Angels, has donated a very special 1911 to be auctioned on GunBroker.   This two-toned pistol is engraved with the Soldiers' Angels logo and brand, and 100% of the proceeds go to Project Valour-IT.

Click over to this GunBroker link to bid on this beauty.  The auction will end 9 PM Eastern Time, October 23, 2011.  More info here.

Weekend Steam: Firebox Fundamentals

I'll have a nice load of ash, with some hickory sprinkled in for a little oomph, and a garnish of walnut on top, just to let the old girl know she's special.

Crankin' It Up

Ross' Juba, a minstrel show tune by the early Twentieth Century musician, Eddie Ross.  Everyone should be issued a banjo when they are born.


AND A BONUS!  There was a very deep earthquake today in the Fiji Isles, and that reminded me of this gem that we first posted in 2008.

Like Wearing The Cone Of Silence

Charles Ricci and Gary Lemanski of Pro-Ears spent Thursday through Saturday at the Rendezvous, and surprised us by giving every registered attendee a set of Pro-Ears Ultra 33 Passive Ear Muffs.   The noise reduction with these muffs is simply amazing, and the soft leather ear cushions are comfortable to wear all day long.  Pro-Ears products are truly top-of-the-line.

Charles and Gary also brought Pro Tac Gold electronic muffs for the gun bloggers to try. These are the muffs to buy if you are serious about shooting and spend a lot of time at the range.

Zeke tried out both models, and he is thinking seriously about ordering a set of custom fitted electronic muffs to use in his noisy work environment. Check out the Pro-Ears website.   Pro-Ears products are American made, in Traverse City, Michigan.

Hey Kevin!

Many Thanks for the beautiful shirt!  Bea will wear it on her daily walks and let people wonder, "Does she or doesn't she?"  We have already been to her favorite FFL and re-transfered the Blackhawk, so she will be safe and secure at home.   

More To Come...

...but I am still on the road, and checking in on Mom before I go back to So. IL.  I have lots of pictures and raw video to sort through when I get home, so watch this space in the days and weeks to come.  Everyone had more fun than you could believe.

Just to Cap Things Off

That's a mighty funny hat for a gunslinger!

It Comes Around So Soon

Back To The Old Grind!

And The Winner Is...

The entire crowd waited with bated breath to see who would be the winner of Bea's revolver...
And

It was Millisecond Molly!!!

Congratulations Molly, and Huge thanks to Ruger for your support!


More news will follow in the days to come!

Never Forget

Way Back In B.P.

That's Before Pickups.  Folks are always looking for something to lean on while they visit about work and play, and if you don't have a pickup truck to lean on, the coal bunker on a steamer will do just fine.

Crankin' It Up

Ross' Double Shuffle, by "Black Face" Eddie Ross was recorded on July 3, 1922.  The era of the Minstrel Show was over, and this record is a precious glimpse into the tent of a traveling show.  Next week the flip side, if I don't get too much hate mail over this.

Marmon V-16! Seen at Pinckneyville

 This Marmon falls into the category of "That's not a car; THIS is a car!"   This is the first Marmon car that I have seen, although I had heard of them.

 The distributor looks almost as big as the air cleaner.

 A wiring diagram would be helpful, wouldn't it?  I used to pull all the wires on a V-8, just because I could, if someone was watching me change plugs and the distributor cap, but I wouldn''t be that bold on this baby.

Hart Parr

This Hart Parr tractor is a rare old beast. Most of them were used up doing what they were built to do, and ones that weren't in use were recycled during the two World Wars. This is the first one that I have seen in the flesh, and running. It was a rare treat.

Otis Technologies: Another Generous Rendezvous Supporter

 From Mr. Completely:
Otis Technologies, maker of some very fine cleaning kits, will be sponsoring the Saturday breakfast at the Gun Blogger Rendezvous. In addition, they will also be contributing one of their Elite Cleaning Kits to the Project Valour-IT Fund Raising Raffle at the Rendezvous.

The most innovative gun cleaning system in the Otis line of products is the Otis Elite®.

Suitable for an armorer but used by thousands, the Otis Elite® is designed to maintain all rifles .17 to .50 caliber, pistols .17 to .50 caliber, shotguns .410 to 12/10 gauge, and all in-line muzzleloaders. The Otis Elite® contains the world famous item #750 Tactical Cleaning System, and the entire line of bronze bore and chamber cleaning brushes from .17 caliber through 12/10 gauge.

Also included in this extensive cleaning system are six Memory-Flex® cleaning rods, an all purpose nylon receiver brush, a T-handle bar, three slotted tips, obstruction removers, small and large Patch Savers®, a bore reflector/flag safety, small caliber and all-caliber 100% cotton patches, and two .5 oz. tubes of Otis O85® Ultra Bore® Solvent.

All of the components are neatly stored in a black nylon, rust proof case which includes a lock and keys for additional security. The Otis Elite® now includes the brass scraper tool set, optics cleaning gear and an interactive instructional DVD. With over 40 gun cleaning components, detailed gun maintenance guide, and a lifetime warranty, the Otis Elite® is the Hallmark of Excellence in firearm maintenance.

You are coming to Reno, aren't you?  The Rendezvous begins Thursday.  If you haven't registered in advance, I bet that Mr. C will sign you up when you walk in the door.  It's all for a good cause, and you will have the time of your life.

A Bea Update

Life has its speed-bumps.  Some are just bumps, and some tear a wheel off; so far, Bea's latest bump appears to be just a really bad bump.   She had a pacemaker installed just a month ago, and it improved her life a great deal immediately.  Shortly before that surgery, she discovered that she had cancer, and the good news was that she would be able to tolerate surgery for cancer if the pacemaker was successful.  So, a week ago, Mom had big surgery at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.  Being aware of what goes on in your body, and communicating with your doctor is important if you want to live to a ripe old age, and Mom is good at following that path.  We are waiting now for the pathology reports, but we are pretty hopeful that she will have good news after visiting with her surgeons, who were all smiles after the operation.  Bea was discharged last Friday, and is in a skilled care facility close to home.  I expect to bring her back to her house in a few days.  Engineering Johnson came over from Chicagoland to see Mom during the Labor Day weekend.  Life is good, folks.  Stretch it just as far as you can.

After Thirty-Five, Every Day Is The Best Day Of Your Life!

Today is a big birthday, for me, and even though it isn't sixty-five (as in the poem), that one isn't very many years away.  Big birthdays bring to mind this Robert Service poem that closes out his book, Barroom Ballads, and if I am still blogging in five years, I will post it again, just because I feel like indulging myself a bit on my birthday.

Once more my sheaf of songs I tie,
And bid them gleefully good-bye,
And feel it will not give me pain,
To never look on them again.
With metronomic measure I
Have beat them out beneath the sky.
And though my facile rhyme I curse,
Sometimes I think they might be worse;
But anyhow, as in the past,
I vow that they will be my last.

For I have come to sixty-five,
Content to feel so much alive;
And though grey-haired, I grieve to state
An unrepentant reprobate;
Admiring lads who wench and wine,
But forced, alas! to toe the line;
For I have learnt a thing or two,
As we old coves are bound to do.

I've come to know that storing health
Is better far than storing wealth;
That smug success has little worth
Beside the simple joys of earth;
That fame is but a bubble brief,
And glory vain beyond belief;
That it is good to eat and drink;
That it is bad to over-think;
That only stupid people claim
to take themselves with serious aim;
That laughter is our God's best gift -
So to  God our laughter lift;
Aye, though his wrath the Heavens split,
He grants us Scorn, to laugh at it.

And so, frail creatures of a day,
Let's have a good time while we may,
And do the very best we can
To give one to our fellow man;
Knowing that all will end with Death,
Let's joy with every moment's breath;
And lift our heads like blossoms blithe
To meet at last the Swinging Scythe.

Someone's Going To Have A Happy Monday!

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola

A couple of Fred Waring sides from the collection of Pax41.

Weekend Steam

People are always drawn to a steam engine pulling a load, even if the load is only a Baker Fan. The Baker Fan is a bit like a jump rope; it works you hard, but you don't accomplish anything other than working up a sweat. It's mighty fine stack music, though.

Crankin' It Up

Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra recorded Valencia (A Song of Spain) on March 30, 1926.

August e-Postal Contest Extended Through Labor Day!

Danno has announced an extended season for the Top-Shot August e-Postal contest. Click Over for the target and rules, and take friends and family shooting this weekend. Every entry in Danno's contest gives you a chance at swag provided by the nice folks at the History Channel and the Top Shot program; the September contest will give you fantastic bragging rights. Bea shot her targets between trips to the hospital for surgeries, so I don't want to hear any excuses! Start Clicking!