Merle reminded us that we haven't watched a spark show for some time, and the big Case at Pinckneyville is well worth revisiting. Thank You, Merle!
Friday, January 10, 2025
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Crusty, Hard Walking
Our precip came down in layers of ice and snow, and walking on it is hard. It will take most of your weight, then drop you. The deer have not been seen until Thursday night, when I saw some movement over in the pines. They normally walk across the dam every day, but the only tracks out there this week are from squirrels. More snow is supposed to ease in tonight, maybe up around four inches on top of our crustiness. Ice from Sunday is still sparkling up in the treetops.
The county blacktop melted down enough that you can drive on it so long as you keep a light foot on the accelerator. Sunshine melted much of the ice, but it is re-freezing tonight. It is much better than it was Monday and Tuesday. I was able to go to the farm with the little Nissan two-wheel drive pickup today.
Here comes the next one! Update, 6:30 AM, very light snow, dry air is keeping the snow from making it to the ground. I give that a thumb up!
Snow 6:30 A, Jan 10, 2025
Snow 10:30 P Jan 9, 2025
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Dashing Through The Snow
I didn't make it over to the farm to check on my cats for a couple days because of the ice and snow storm. The county blacktop is a solid sheet of ice, so I did not want to take the family car, or the two-wheel drive pickup. The tractor was the solution. The gravel roads were impassable for two-wheel drive when I got off the blacktop, but the tractor handled it OK. The cats were fine. I had put out extra food and water before the storm. The road commissioner bladed my route a second time before I headed home, and it is passable now for a car. The blacktop is a mess, though. This morning I spent a few hours just down the road with a fellow who slid into the ditch. I had no traction and couldn't budge him. A bold co-worker showed up with a four-wheel drive work truck and yanked him out with a series of jerks, something that I was hesitant to do to a stranger's car. Nobody got hurt, and I doubt that the car is bent from the jerking. Nobody fell, or got hurt, and that is a blessing. Be careful out there, especially when the next blast of cold comes south!
Running into the Giraffe crew was a nice bonus of this cold ride. Those guys don't take snow days!Tuesday Torque: Potpourri Of Facebook Reels
Click The Pics for video links.
Fairbanks 6 Cylinders
Apple Peeler!
Old IHC
Reeves 40 Prairie Tractor
Only a couple of these LaCrosse Rein Drive tractors remain. One of them is shown at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa every Labor Day weekend.
Many Thanks, Merle! These are some good ones! Sorry I'm late, the snow kept us busy today.
Sunday, January 5, 2025
It's Crusty
Sleet and freezing rain on top of four inches of snow. Gonna be scraping a bit tomorrow. Back To The Old Grind!
Not Snowmageddon, Thank Goodness!
We got a little over four inches, then some sleet and freezing rain, but the power is on, and we have plenty of wood at the house. The dogs like it, but tire of it quickly.
Weekend Steam II: Swiss Snow Blower
Merle sent a great link that applies today. We spent a large part of the day clearing snow around the house and off the firewood, and now we have sleet and freezing rain on the ground. At least it is not glare ice. We will be OK. Thank You, Merle!
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Weekend Steam: 4" Burrell Engine...
...but what about that footwear?! Well, it's not as egregious as running a saw in flip-flops, shorts, while up a ladder. Thank You, Merle! This is a beautiful engine! (Click The Pic for link.)
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Fruit Jar Bourbon
Char some white oak heartwood sticks, put them in a fruit jar, and add vodka. Vodka will probably be 80 proof, (40 %) ethanol, and you will want to bump that up to around 120 proof (60%). Our limited experience so far is that two years makes an extremely dark and woody bourbon. The second batch on the same sticks smells and tastes like store bought bourbon in just a year. You can probably get by with fewer sticks than we used. Write the date on the lid and put it away where you won't be tempted to sample too soon. Remember to dilute it before drinking, and enjoy it in small samples. The pecan sticks are an experiment, and we will update our readers whenever we pull it out to check the progress.
