More Baby Barred Owls! Count 'em, Two!

Susan's Garden Report, April 25, 2024

 We ran the raw video through the process again this morning and it seems to work correctly now, so here is Susan's Garden Tour/Report!

Corcoran Field Boot Maintenance

Here's my quick and dirty guide to caring for your leather work boots. My boots don't go on long hikes nowadays, but they do go with me in the woods frequently. Work boots are my daily footwear. 

Four New Goslings!

We are up to eight, if the varmints don't get them. Pretty little things!

Tuesday Torque: 45 and 30-60 Mogul Tractors

 We will look first at some old video that was shot in black and white. Thank You, Merle!

Next we will look at newer videos, in living color.

Another Earth Day,

Another load of wood.

 

Never Been On A Stone!...

 ...Is a common expression among guys who trade knives. Knife traders are good guys to stay away from. They are good at skinning you out of a good pocket knife, and you end up with  junky old plug. Something I have never heard is, "It's never had a blade on it!" We have that. We picked it up at a little sale years ago when returning to the farm from Old Threshers. 

It is a little shop worn from sitting in various places over the years, but that stone has never sharpened tools.

Back To The Old Grind!

First Poppy!

 

Big Bird News!

 The past day has been an exciting bird day for us. Last night one of the baby barred owls stuck its head up out of the den in the hollow hickory tree! We quickly set up an emergency fence across the dog yard just in case the little bird gets on the ground. We sure don't want a dog to get it.

One of our nesting pairs of geese now have four goslings that they are walking around the yard and taking out in the pond. The pair under our sycamore tree is still sitting on eggs.

One of our hunting friends came over this morning and nailed a Jake turkey. He called once and waited 1/2 hour before the turkey showed itself. 

Weekend Steam: Strasburg Railroad #89

 Summer travel opportunities will soon be here, and Merle reminded us that Strasburg Railroad is a must for steam enthusiasts. Click the photo of Number 89 to watch Strasburg's video on YouTube.

Click Here for Strasburg's website.

Early Arbor Day

 Hamilton County IL Soil and Water Conservation District organized another tree planting project for the third graders this year, and we had perfect weather mid-day to show the kids how to plant trees. Good times! The kids all know how to plant a potted tree properly now, and will probably remember it for the rest of their lives.

Prowlers Again

 The bums you will always have with you. We recently noticed that fuel had been stolen from our utility vehicle, and found strange footprints in the barn. The perps also pulled the wires off the ignition switch on the log splitter. Bad pennies they are.

A Good Tree In The Wrong Place

 Here's a typical weekend job for Susan and me. This black walnut is a volunteer, and a pretty nice tree, but it is too close to this cottage, so it will go into the barn as firewood. The crown was going to reach over the roof this year, and that is far enough. We use the open face and bore cut method to take the tree down.

Tuesday Torque: De La Vergne Oil Engine

 Merle ran across a Facebook Reel of the BIG De La Vergne engine at Rollag, Minnesota. Hey, I have  a video of that engine, so I am going to post mine! It is really big. 26 " bore and 38" stroke, 20,175 cubic inches! Built in New York in 1903. Thanks, Merle!

Weekend Steam II: Another Quick Look At The Mt. Washington Cog Railway,

 ...Thanks to Merle for spotting! ClickThisLink

Even The Dogs Gotta Grind!

 

                                       Back To The Old Grind!

Bore Cut Challenge

 This is easy if you have practiced, but those who are new to bore cutting often blow out their hinge or back strap. When the cut is through, let off your throttle and let the chain stop before pulling the saw out. A successful cut can be ruined by pulling back with the chain running. 

Follow the same rules we use for big trees when you cut the little ones. Look for safety hazards. Measure your diameter, height, and space to drop the tree. Design your front and back cuts, your trigger, and know your escape route. Small trees can be challenging because there is not much room to work in the stem with your saw, so plan accordingly. Thank You for visiting and watching!

Weekend Steam: Valley Railroad Company, Essex, Connecticut

 Merle spotted another railroad that we had never heard of, and I found  a video of more than an hour, shot last fall. Grab a cup of coffee! Thank You, Merle!

Spring Turkey Season Is In

Last weekend was youth season, and I could hear a novice calling just west of us. Continuous calling. He scratched that hen call solid for half an hour. It was hilarious. The gobblers did not fly down to him. This morning is one of the regular seasons, and at sunrise there was one shotgun blast near us, so someone got a gobbler. On a related note, our barred owls were nowhere to be seen or heard yesterday or today, so they have taken off with their fledglings. It has been fun watching them. 

 

John Prine....

 ....passed four years ago today. He wrote this song after visiting his grandfather's grave. The line about the sailors always gets me. John was a good guy.

April 8 Eclipse Cook Out

 Several friends gathered with us for an eclipse party, and we were blessed with a nearly cloud-free sky, light breezes, and perfect temperature to enjoy being outdoors. Y'all should been here!

Tuesday Torque: 1903 Humber Tricycle

 Many Thanks, Merle! I could sure enjoy one of these.

Barn Groundhog

We are letting him stay, in case of hard times. This big boy could grease your skillet!

Hoping For A Sunny Day April 8

 We are all set for a good time tomorrow. Friends have come from far away, the brush pile is ready to light in the morning, and we have lots of meat to cook outdoors. Then four minutes of glory at two o'clock!

No Grinding, Just Good Times!

Weekend Steam: Firing A Best Traction Engine

 Merle sent the link to this channel back in December, and we are just getting around to posting it. There are a lot of good channels on YouTube, and MrShoptaw is one of them. Click his video over to YouTube and hit his subscribe button! Thank You, Merle!

The Barred Owl Keeps An Eye On Us!

 We got lucky this morning and the owl perched nearby, and waited while I retrieved the camera. With no time to spare, I cracked the door open and got a quick vid.

What Happens When Your Saw Goes Dull?

 This video was going along swimmingly until I was in the final cut, then the right side of the chain stopped cutting well and the bar began curving to the left. Being so close to finishing, I fought it through, and you can see how difficult that is. This went from a pruning lesson to a malfunction demonstration! Stay Sharp!

Tuesday Torque: Crosby, North Dakota

 Merle sent a link to a video from Crosby, North Dakota and it looks like a great show.  Crosby is only five miles from the Canadian border in NW North Dakota, so check your oil and kick your tires before you head out! Thank You, Merle!

The Right Tree In The Right Place

I am not anti-maple, I just don't want you to be disappointed in the future because a tree is in the wrong place. Look at your space and keep soft maples 100 feet away from your house. 

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: The Last Coal Fired Train From Durango

Weekend Steam: To Be Restored?

Merle sent this one last year, and I am hoping this engine really will be put back in operation. Thank You, Merle!   Link To Engine Info

Long Distance Litter

 We can't make them go away, but we can refuse to be part of the problem.  Don't buy mylar balloons. They never make it to Heaven!

Turkey Season Is Coming; Warm Up Your Hooter!

Look Quick Or You Will Miss Her!

 Mama Owl pops out of her hole and leaves while we were talking about her. We get our owl thrills every day in the back yard.

Tuesday Torque: Lobster Fishing In Norway

 The Solfrid is 1924 vintage. The Brunvoll hot-bulb Diesel is from 1957. They work well together. Many Thanks, Merle, for spotting this great video!

Don't Lie Around...

 Get up and go!

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Mt. Washington Cog Railway

 Many Thanks, Merle. This suggestion came from Merle several months back.

Weekend Steam: Smoke And Drama!

 Merle sends lots of links, and I went back to last year and spotted these great shorts. Thank You, Merle!

pan>

Pruning Walnuts (And Other Trees, Too!)

 Prioritize your cuts and make them right. Will the tree be merchantable as is, or if you prune it? Can you make the tree produce more merchantable volume? Can you improve the value of the wood? Let the answers guide you as you prune.

Pipeliner Fly-By

 The pipeliner flies by about once a week, looking for problems along the petroleum pipeline that goes through our timber. In the rare event that we would have equipment on or near the line, we call the operator so they can inform the pilot, rather than trigger alarm bells. We always enjoy seeing him go over.

Waiting To Pounce!

 Something is always out to get you, even in the relative safety of your back yard. Keep an eye out for hazards!

Remember The Guy Using A Stick And His Flipped Cart...

 ...to start his little Diesel engine? He now has an upgrade to his starting system!

The Story Of The Chestnut

Tuesday Torque: Midwest Old Threshers Parade Of Tractors

 Merle picked out a short by Someplace or Another of the LaCrosse Rein Drive Tractor at Mt. Pleasant. I have admired this little mechanical wonder since I was a kid. I looked up the long version, and you can see the LaCrosse at the 8:00 minute mark. Thank You, Merle!

Enjoy Spring!

 Down in the twenties tonight, so unhook your garden hose! Admire the flowers while we have them!

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Irish Steam At Speed!

Weekend Steam: Homemade Steam Motorcycle!

This is a  great one, Merle, and obviously one-of-a-kind. Thanks for spotting! I wonder what the range is on this baby. 

Here is a better look at this nice ride.

Tuesday Torque: Poor People Have Poor Ways...

 Thanks, Merle!

Busy Sunday

 Plenty to do outdoors!

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Rough And Tumble Engineers Historical Association

 Here's another great suggestion from Merle. Rough and Tumble Engineeers Historical Association at Kinzers, PA is the second oldest steam show in America, and it is one that all of us should attend. There are many great videos on YouTube, so remember their name and look them up for yourself to have a good time. Thanks, Merle!

Weekend Steam: Mick Savage, Over In U. K.

 Mick has some nice content on his YouTube channel. Thanks for spotting, Merle!

Ranger Is In Training!

 We are taking Ranger to classes and working with him every day to improve his behavior on leash, for call backs, sitting, and threshold discipline. He is doing well with circling, figure - 8s, and zig-zags. He is a quick learner and is always anxious for a lesson.

The Harps Of Spring Are In The Air!

 The spring birds are hollerin', the buzzards are circling over us every day, our barred owls are hatching young'uns, and the daffodils are lovely. The crocuses are looking great, too!

We let the fire go out for a day, and fired up again. We still need some heat. 

We Are Getting Ready...

 ...for the Eclipse Wienie Roast! We are building the new brush pile for that glorious day.

Tuesday Torque: 1904 Napier, First To Break 100 MPH In America

 Thank You, Merle! This is wonderful!

Save Your Old Potatoes!

 Don't let last year's potatoes go bad on you! If you won't eat all of them before they spoil, peel them, cut them up, and can them.

Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Royal Scot

Thanks Merle!

Weekend Steam: New Zealand Logging Locomotives

 Wow, Merle! You found another great one! Thank You!

Enough Winter Already!

February was supposed to be mild according to the Groundhog, but it bit us a few times. The last couple days have been chilling and we are keeping the stove hot. Let's hope for a decent March. Spring is just three weeks away!

Brushpile Getaway

 Pick your day, and stay with your fire. This one was doing great, and we broke at 1:00 for a snack and water. Susan had errands to run and I went back to the fire. Then the wind came up, a solid 15 mph with gusts. I busted the fire up with the tractor and got a four gallon backpack sprayer. I started putting out wood, coals, and hot ash. I refilled three times before Susan got back, and then she stirred ashes while I put on more water. We used 20 gallons total, through a backpack weed sprayer, and the fire did not get away.

Tuesday Torque! Let's Go To Albany, Minnesota For Pioneer Days!

 Merle found a fascinating marine engine on a Facebook reel, which I will Link Here. Unfortunately, I cannot figure out how to embed Facebook reels. Then I went looking for the guy who posted it, and I think his Facebook channel is all video segments that he copied from YouTube. I cannot find him on YT. I did find many videos other people have posted of Albany, Minnesota, and I wonder why I never noticed that show before. Kenny Kizzle shows the same engine, but he walks on by it without any discussion. Oh Well, or words to that effect. It shows up at 28:40.

And a few more. Thank You, Merle, for guiding us around the engine web!

The Worms Crawl In, The Worms Crawl Out...

Whether you are a soft-bodied mammal or a hard-hearted hickory, there is something waiting for you at your demise. We do our part to send them up the chimney to heaven, and avoid all the munchiness.

The wood seasons quickly if the tree is dead for a while, so long as it is vertical so rain runs off rather than soaking in through the bark. Those seasoning cracks in hickory in less than a week are amazing and gratifying. Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam II: Link Picks By Merle

 These brief Facebook reels are good ones. I wish FBook made embedding an option with these. Anyhow, click the links. Thanks, Merle!

Case Pulls A Planer

Port Huron Tandem Compound

Weekend Steam: Durango And Silverton

 It's always good to visit the Durangon and Silverton. Thanks, Merle!

Overhauling The Liftmaster Gate Opener

Our Liftmaster gate opener quit last week, and we overhauled it with parts from a damaged actuator that we stashed years ago. It is a relief to have it working again without having to buy parts and pay for service calls. 

Hard Hat Reminder

 Also, that Escape Rule should not be ignored. The hickory tree's fibers slipped, and I stayed in place to get my video. A tap on the head is always a reminder that you should have been somewhere else.

Nice Sunset

 It's like we live in a resort.

Little Six-Point Carcass

 

                                                                                                          Dusty Photo

Our friend Dusty was out in the timber looking for shed antlers and found this little buck that has been cleaned by coyotes and other varmints. We have a lot of hunting pressure around us. There are two outfitters selling hunts, and deer hunters are all around our timber  through the deer seasons. We saw more than a dozen impressive sets of  antlers on social media that were harvested around us. This deer was probably killed by one of those hunters. The shooter should have contacted us and collected it, but did not. Maybe the shooter was not competent to track a wounded deer, maybe the shooter wasn't brave enough to contact us and ask permission to retrieve it. Maybe he shot this deer, saw a better one, and then shot and tagged the second one. Maybe he shot when this little deer was in line with the one he was aiming at. Who knows? It's an aggravation. The outfitters charge well up into four figures for a successful deer hunt, and there have been many trophy quality racks taken around us. This little guy will not mature to be one of those trophies in the future, so sloppy hunting is not just bothering us, it will be hurting the outfitters. The heavy pressure* around our island of habitat for trophy bucks is not sustainable, and I am sure we will be seeing fewer big racks in the next few years.

*We are skeptical about the ethics of some of the hunting that goes on around us. We commonly hear rifle shots at night during both bow and gun seasons while we are out with the dogs. Deer carcasses discarded off of bridges are big red flags. 

Tuesday Torque: Poor People Have Poor Ways....

 ...But, it does work! Sort of like pop starting a stick shift car. Thanks, Merle!

Tuesday Bonus! Fairbanks Pulling Rod Lines (Link)

Case 20-40 Pulling A Plow (Link)

It Was A Sunny Day...

 ...with temps in the mid 40s, and the snow was going fast. It looks like a good week ahead. Back To The Old Grind!

Snow And Cold

 We got about 3 inches of snow, along with some sleet and snow pellets, then cold last night, all day, and again tonight. It's going to warm up tomorrow, though.

Indoors tasks seemed a good choice. We took the oven door apart and cleaned the glass.

Weekend Steam II: B.R. 92134 Rescues B.R. 80136

 

 B.R 9F '92134' Comes To The Rescue to retrieve the failed B.R 80136 after the Standard Tank comes to a stand at Moorgates on The North Yorkshire Moors Annual Steam gala. As of the now the reports were of a failed water pump/injector issue and from the information I have it looks like the loco was out of water.

Thank You, Merle!

Weekend Steam: Steam vs. Diesel

 Thank You, Merle!

Gooses In The Morning,

 Deer in the afternoon!

Warning: Danger Dead Ash On IL Hwy 242

 We have been watching this tree for a long time. It tips to the highway, and has been dead for a couple of years. That's long enough the the root hairs are long gone and it may tip over without even a push by the wind. We look for it every time we go to McLeansboro and are always glad to get by unscathed. 

Valentine Countdown Finale! I Can't Help Falling In Love With You, Elvis Presley

Valentine Countdown, Extra Credit! Whispering, Comedian Harmonists

Valentine Countdown! These Foolish Things, Rudy Vallee

Third Great Grandfather William Tweed....

 .... was born 190 years ago today. Just missed him by 26 years. I sure would like to have a visit with him....

Valentine Countdown: Love Is Like A Butterfly, Dolly Parton

Tuesday Torque: Starting A 50 HP Fairbanks At Coolspring

 Air start, pretty neat! Old dynamite box, also pretty neat! Thanks, Merle!

The Case Of The Exploding Fronius

We had a solar panel system installed in 2020 by a contractor out of Marion, Illinois and it produces a touch over 10,000 watts on a sunny day. It greatly reduced our power bill. This is the front of the Fronius inverter, that coordinates the power we produce, along with the power coming from our electric co-op.

We can cut off the power from the panels by switching the handle down to Off.

You open this box only when you have a problem...

...with the time delay fuses. They have a life, and when one fails, you cut off the power, open the box, check the fuses for continuity, and replace them if one is bad.  Turn the switch on, and the Fronius should soon be showing your wattage being produced. The net-meter off to the left will show if you are sending out or taking in power. 

Last week we saw that we weren't making any power, so I checked the fuses. Both of them were bad, and that is not good. That meant that something had occurred to make them blow. I replaced them, turned the power on, and nothing happened. No juice, just an error message. 

We made a call to the contractor who sold us the system, and the next morning we had help. He opened up the Fronius and found an exploded capacitor.

It blew off its base and caused a bit of collateral damage.

The repairman called Fronius, sent them some photos, and did some diagnostic checks on the wiring behind this panel, and they said they will send a new panel right away to install in the case. It is still in warranty! I just hope that they have parts in the country and we won't have to wait on a boat to cross the Pacific. 

Enough Excitement. Back To The Old Grind!
 

Valentine Countdown Bonus! Toot Toot Tootsie, Goodbye! Al Jolson, 1922

Valentine Countdown! That's Amore, Dean Martin

Weekend Steam II: Beautiful Burrell Cross Compound

 Here are a couple of short Facebook videos of a Burrell cross compound engine. Click the links to watch. You only hear one cylinder exhaust on compound engines, because the high pressure cylinder passes its steam to the low pressure cylinder. From there, it goes up the stack. Many thanks, Merle!

Link 1   Link 2

Valentine Countdown! For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her, Simon And Garfunkel

Weekend Steam: Sharpthorne Steam Channel

 Another good steam engine channel in the UK, spotted by Merle. Thank You, Sir!

Valentine Countdown Bonus! Tyler Childers Performs John Prine's They Ought To Name A Drink After You!

Valentine Countdown! Dancing In The Moonlight, Rudy Vallee

Turkeys In The Mist

 We had a foggy morning the other day, and also a bunch of wild turkeys on the other side of the pond. They look like bugs running around in the woods from 200 yards away. Our surviving deer herd is hanging around the house, too. A couple of good looking bucks visited, and it was good to see they survived all of the deer seasons.

Valentine Countdown! She's Always A Woman, Billy Joel

The Need For Thinning

One of my landowners planted these white pines in 1989. He used a planting machine, did a fine job, and had good survival. The spacing is 10' x 10', for 436 trees per acre. He sold the ground and this photo was taken in 2015, when the new owner was harvesting trees and sawing lumber. Note that the crowns are crowded and the live crowns are quite short because of overcrowding. 

I looked it up on Google Earth the other day, and it was flown last October. Only part of the project was cleared, and a home now sits where the portable sawmill was located. The new owner has not thinned the trees, and you can see that they are hanging on. White pine is fairly tolerant of overcrowding, and if you plant a stand of pure white pine you must thin to maintain a good growth rate. 

I planted a shelter belt of white pine around 1990 alongside one of our hardwood plantings, and planned on being lazy. I mixed red pine in the rows, because red pine gets pine wilt disease at our latitude, and they passed out of the picture after 15 years. If you have a tree planting project that is older than 15 years, contact your forester, get out there with a chainsaw, and do your thinning.