Merle picked a Must-See for engine lovers. Coolspring Power Museum is a collection that will overwhelm your senses. There is more history than you can imagine, and you should look up videos online to get a sample, then plan your trip to Pennsylvania. Thanks, Merle!
There are a few pieces from up high that I can pick up, but nearly all of this sycamore has to be handled by the loader. Rolling those big chunks around on the splitter is enough of a challenge for this old man! The moisture is checking out around 50%, and you can see free water come out when the wedge digs in. This will take a few days.
After all the excitement about Big Boy 4014 this year, we need to remember Number 844, the only steam locomotive that was never retired, and also run by Union Pacific. According to an interview with Ed Dickens, the 844 needs some work done on it, but steam locos are known for their high maintenance demands, and I am sure U.P. will be featuring 844 again. It is a beast of an engine! Many thanks to Merle for this!
Thanks, Merle! One of my favorite engines! This Corliss pumped water for the city of Marshalltown, Iowa for many years.
I shot this low quality video way back in 2008:
And this one in 2010!
..."Jim Bridger, the legendary mountain man and storyteller is famously credited with that quote. According to historical lore, Bridger made the remark following a surgical operation. At the Battle of Pierre's Hole in 1832, Bridger was shot in the back with a Blackfeet arrow. He famously carried the three-inch iron arrowhead embedded in his flesh for nearly three years before a doctor, Marcus Whitman, finally cut it out during a mountain man rendezvous in 1835. When the doctor expressed amazement that the deeply embedded wound had never become infected or septic over those three years, Bridger casually dismissed it with his trademark humor, replying, “Meat don’t spoil in the Rockies.”
Watch the following video and remember, if you are going to be shot with an arrow, make sure you are in the Rockies!
There are no CCI Stingers in this video, but from earlier videos I know that Stingers are very close to Federal Punch in performance. The Punch ammo has a flat nose, and that enhances the wound channel, but in 22 LR, that is still not large. I have been shooting both, and they work well on varmints around the homestead. 22 Magnum really hurts your ears if you don't have ear protection, but the performance on critters is amazing. Notice that there are a few references about functioning in a semi-auto with 22 Magnum. There are no problems with functioning in a revolver. The Ruger Wrangler now comes in convertible form, so a budget friendly option is there for you if you want the 22 Magnum option.
Shelling corn with a hand cranked sheller was a daily task in farms all over the country. An old corn sheller was always one of the things you would see at a farm estate auction. I haven't cranked one in years, but we still have a few in the barn, and some hand cranked bur mills, too. Many Thanks to Merle for spotting this one.
Holiday for many, just another day for others.
Big news for the Sandbox at Rollag. Head north!
Fixed it! Sorry about the wrong vid!
Get yourself over to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa for Old Threshers this weekend. The weather is forecast for a little cooldown on Sunday, so no excuses. There is more to see than you can do in one day. Traction engines, antique tractors, old gas engines, steam locomotives, and much, much more. If you are a middle aged man, do not stand close to the stage in the saloon when the girls are singing. They will pull you on stage to embarrass you!
This photo is from Dana Close Jennings' book, Old Threshers at XXX, published in 1979. I like to show this because my brother Ben and his son Mike are in it.
You might catch a ride in the caboose. Climb up to the cupola for a great view as you circle the grounds.
