One Of Our Veteran Friends,

 David Ellingsworth, flew gunships in Vietnam. We spend a good bit of time with David and his wife. The men who flew helicopters in Vietnam are a special breed, and we are always ready to listen when he shares any of his experiences.  David taught at SIU-Carbondale and at Rend Lake College after his military service and now he is enjoying his retirement years. 

Another Robert W. Service Poem From The Great War...

 Country Joe McDonald mustered out of the U.S. Navy in 1964, and not long after that he began reading Rhymes Of  A Red Cross Man, by Robert W. Service. It wasn't too long until he put The Ballad Of Jean Desprez to music, and that played well with his musical friends at the time. He eventually made an album, War, War, War with a collection of Service's poems, and he re-recorded it nearly twenty years ago. The collection still holds up well today.  Here is my favorite from that album... I sure do hope the old boy made it back to his cabin at Fond DuLac...

November 11, Was It You?

 Robert W. Service served two years on the Western Front, so his verses have real credibility. 

Robert W Service

Was It You?

"Hullo, young Jones! with your tie so gay
And your pen behind your ear;
Will you mark my cheque in the usual way?
For I'm overdrawn, I fear."
Then you look at me in a manner bland,
As you turn your ledger's leaves,
And you hand it back with a soft white hand,
And the air of a man who grieves. . . .

"Was it you, young Jones, was it you I saw
(And I think I see you yet)
With a live bomb gripped in your grimy paw
And your face to the parapet?
With your lips asnarl and your eyes gone mad
With a fury that thrilled you through. . . .
Oh, I look at you now and I think, my lad,
Was it you, young Jones, was it you?

"Hullo, young Smith, with your well-fed look
And your coat of dapper fit,
Will you recommend me a decent book
With nothing of War in it?"
Then you smile as you polish a finger-nail,
And your eyes serenely roam,
And you suavely hand me a thrilling tale
By a man who stayed at home.

"Was it you, young Smith, was it you I saw
In the battle's storm and stench,
With a roar of rage and a wound red-raw
Leap into the reeking trench?
As you stood like a fiend on the firing-shelf
And you stabbed and hacked and slew. . . .
Oh, I look at you and I ask myself,
Was it you, young Smith, was it you?

"Hullo, old Brown, with your ruddy cheek
And your tummy's rounded swell,
Your garden's looking jolly chic
And your kiddies awf'ly well.
Then you beam at me in your cheery way
As you swing your water-can;
And you mop your brow and you blithely say:
`What about golf, old man?'

"Was it you, old Brown, was it you I saw
Like a bull-dog stick to your gun,
A cursing devil of fang and claw
When the rest were on the run?
Your eyes aflame with the battle-hate. . . .
As you sit in the family pew,
And I see you rising to pass the plate,
I ask: Old Brown, was it you?

"Was it me and you? Was it you and me?
(Is that grammar, or is it not?)
Who groveled in filth and misery,
Who gloried and groused and fought?
Which is the wrong and which is the right?
Which is the false and the true?
The man of peace or the man of fight?
Which is the ME and the YOU?"

Wednesday Windage: An Accumulation Of Mistakes!

 I always liked to listen and learn when others talked about near disasters they have had in the great outdoors. I made several rules for myself, and that kept me mostly safe during 35 years of forestry. There were close calls, of course, but I never got lost, never got smashed, never got run over by a mad bull. Tim Sundles lays out his mistakes on what was supposed to be a pleasant one day trip in the mountains.

Tuesday Torque: Really Big!

 One of the largest internal combustion engines in the World, for really big boats.  That's about all I can tell you about that!  Many Thanks, Merle! I should have paid attention in Conversational Spanish!

Now We Come Down To The Wire

 

We have been busy all year with Schipperkes from the hoarding situation in Oregon. Most of the dogs are in homes now, from Alaska to Texas and Hawaii to Maine. We currently have three we are fostering, Leo (Who has people coming for him), Vesper, 

and Fergus, who is recovering from his neuter surgery. Two more Schips are with a trainer in preparation for adoption. The end is in sight, and all of the dogs should have homes by early next year. Volunteers and generous donors to the cause have made this mission a success.  The big push will soon be over. Back To The Old Grind!

Here is the litter of ten pups with their mother that Dodi Hart took in, raised, and placed with adopters. The solid black one on the left is Fergus. Dodi made many trips to her vet with various problems, interviewed adopters, and met them all to handle the paperwork and delivery of the pups to their new people. Dodi also made innumerable trips to Dogs For Better Lives to assist the staff, evaluate dogs, take pictures for us, and etc. Schipperke people are the best!

Schipperke 2027 Calendar, From A Schipperke Rescue Volunteer!

Please consider purchasing one of these calendars to support Midwest Schipperke Rescue. For those of you who don't know, Dodi took in the first group of schips from the Oregon hoarding situation (10 of them!) and cared for them for months. She also drove back and forth to where the other schips were housed to help socialize them and meet the families that adopted them. We couldn't have done it without her!

SCHIP HAPPENS FOR A GOOD CAUSE!

Looking for a fun holiday gift for the Schipperke lover in your life?

The SCHIP HAPPENS 2027 Schipperke Calendar is filled with adorable Schipperke antics, personality, and plenty of mischief!

A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS FROM CALENDAR SALES WILL BE DONATED TO MIDWEST SCHIPPERKE RESCUE!

Your purchase helps support the wonderful work of Midwest Schipperke Rescue while bringing a little Schipperke happiness into your home!

A great Christmas gift for Schipperke lovers!

Order your calendar here:

https://www.dlhartbooks.com

Thank you for supporting Schipperkes in need!

Dodi also has a Schipperke coloring book for sale!

Susan and I love ours, and we think you will, too! Here is the link for it: DLHart Schipperke Coloring Book.

Weekend Steam II: Traction Engine Short Reels

 Thanks for the link, Merle! I doubt this guy shot these videos himself, but he has a great collection of traction engines from all over the place. Here is his Facebook LINK

Weekend Steam : French Steam Mono-Rail Loco

This idea seems to have gone nowhere, but don't laugh. New ideas often lead to places we can't imagine. 

Cut, Buck, Move, Split, Stack, etc.

 Many things have to happen before the smoke goes up the chimney. This black oak is a big project, and I couldn't do it without a tractor and loader. Most of this tree made rounds that are too heavy to pick up and put on the splitter.  Roll them on the forks and roll them off to the slide on the splitter. Don't let one fall on your feet! Black oak, red oak and hickory are favorites. Split the pieces small and they dry quickly with sun and wind. We watch the seasoning cracks open wider day by day.

Wednesday Windage: 44 Mag Rifle For Bear

Tuesday Torque: Minneapolis Comfort Tractor

 Minneapolis built these one year, in 1938. They cost nearly double what other tractors cost, almost two grand. They had a heater, windshield wipers, fabric seats, and were geared so they could cruise down the road at 40 miles per hour. We saw one years ago at the Cedar Falls, Iowa show. Someplace Or Another caught this one at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa this year. Thanks, Merle!