Vicarious Vacationing!

You have to go to Hawaii to see this vintage coffee grinder!

 Back To The Old Grind!  Many Thanks to Gary Bahre!

Proud Mothers!

 

Our first nesting pair of geese that showed off their goslings had five, then a few days later they were down to one, and then none. Coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, and snapping turtles are all suspects to that tragedy, but yesterday we had three sets of parents showing off their babies in our back yard.

Hallmark Holiday Have-To-Hear

 

Weekend Steam II: Ford's Hybrid Gas/Steam Engine

Weekend Steam: Barking Locomotives!

 

Bird Behavior

I have seen turkey vultures spread their wings to soak up sun, but this is the first time I have watched one take a shower bath. He enjoyed the light rain this morning for several rotations.

 

It Burns The Eyes

 We had an unpleasant surprise while we unloaded the car after a trip to St. Louis today. A crop duster made application on the wheat field just to our south, and drifting pesticide rolled over us. I have to chase down the contractor and find out what was applied. It is usually a cocktail of products, all with their own cautions. Our trees are already looking screwy from other herbicide applications around us. 

UPDATE: It was a fungicide (probably with an insecticide) plus Serpent, a pyrethroid insecticide, with Danger label, which is the highest caution level on pesticides.   Don't stand around downwind of aerial applications on wheat!

"Exposure to Lambda-cyhalothrin poses both acute and chronic risks. Acute effects include skin and eye irritation, non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, cardiovascular toxicity, coma, convulsions, and severe muscle fasciculation. There is no antidote for pyrethrin or pyrethroid poisoning."

It Isn't Safe

 Coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons stalk through the nights. Two days ago we had five goslings with our yard geese. Yesterday there was one. Today, none.

Tuesday Torque: World's Largest Dozer

 Courtesy of Merle. Thank You, Sir!

Women On Target, May 3 2025

 

Saturday, May 3 was our annual Women On Target event at the Carmi Rifle Club, with 18 participants. The first part of the day is a safety and basic instruction meeting, and then the rest of the day is spent shooting a variety of guns and indoor and outdoor ranges.  Every shooter has a Range Safety Officer to supervise and to help.

The above target was a thrill. The lady who shot it was nervous when we switched to a scoring target, so I spent extra time with her on stances and trigger pull. She shot with the Taco Grip, at 30 feet and put all ten shots in the ten ring. Pretty remarkable for a new shooter. 

Things normally start breaking up between 2 and 3 o'clock, but we had heavy rain with no wind, and the roof over the firing line kept us dry. Nobody wanted to go out in the rain to get in their car, so we kept shooting 'till 4.  I was running one of the .22 rifle stations and had a good time coaching ladies to hit clay pigeons on the 100 yard berm. One lady hit four in row, her first time shooting a .22 rifle. Another challenging target is a rack of 3/4" suckers at 50 feet.  Most new shooters have trouble hitting them, but some could break one after another.

Weekend Steam II: Hollycombe Steam

Weekend Steam: Reeves 40-140

 You have to go to Iowa to see this beast. I have seen it cold, but never running. The soil is sandy where this show is held. Bad for the gears on old tractors and traction engines.

Minor Aggravation

Susan and I went over to the neighbor yesterday to finish our storm cleanup for her. On one of the loads in the RTV I had a malfunction. I backed into the brush pile, pulled the lever to dump the bed, and the RTV would only grunt. The bed would not go up, but the hydraulic pump was straining.  We finished by unloading by hand a few times, and I looked over our little buggy after we were home. Something the brush pile had poked into the space between that spring shackle and the hydraulic fitting, popping the male hydraulic hose end loose. It was about as simple a fix you will ever get. The little buggy is whole again. 

 

Auctions, Snooze, You Lose!

 Aumann just finished their annual Pre-30 tractor auction yesterday. I think they may have set a record. The 40-70 Imperial tractor went for $959,500! It went up by $150,000 during the last two hours.

PS, Steam engines are becoming bargains! Check out the price of the 65 HP Case vs the gas tractors.

It's Not Raining Rain, You Know, It's Raining Violets! Yeah, Sure!

 April 29 we had some strong thunderstorms blow through. We had tree damage, and around us there were trees blocking roads, damage to outbuildings, and minor flash flooding. We just have a bit of chainsaw work to do, but no real emergencies. We are going to a neighbor this morning to clean up limbs in her yard. Our old owl tree really was taken down a notch, but it will survive, for a while anyway.

Tuesday Torque II: It Looks Hopeless...

 ...but he makes it run, sort of. I don't think the rest of this 1927 truck can be resurrected.

All that ether makes me cringe. It dries out any lube in the upper cylinder. It is much easier on engines to prime with two-stroke mix so your rings have a bit of oil on them.

Tuesday Torque: New Mag On 3 HP Hercules

 It's a joy when a repair works right away. Thanks, Merle!

One Hundred Sixty Years Ago...

 

They Are Beautiful!

 Fly north, have babies, fly south.

Fly north, Back To The Old Grind!

Rock Crawling In A 100 Year Old Model T

 

Weekend Steam: Shovels!

Thanks, Merle! You know I love steam shovels!

And...They're Gone!

 

Sunday was stormy, not a good day to be outside. I went out to walk one of the dogs and he zeroed in on an owlet that had bailed out of the hickory. No damage, but the little bird was tee-totally soaked. I made a call to a wildlife biologist and discussed options. Mama Owl was watching, so touching the little owl was out of the question. 

We decided to set a folding table up over the little critter to keep the rain off of it. In a few hours it was dry.

We thought there were two little ones up there, but we soon found that there were three! The others popped out of the den when the rain slacked off and both went up in the tree. 

They stayed up there through the night and disappeared Monday morning. 

Mama kept close tabs on us. You have to respect those talons! Don't alarm Mama. 

Our last look at the precocious one. They will stay with their parents out in the timber, learning how to be big owls. I saw Mama again today when I  went out to the north barn, so I know the babies are close. It has been an adventure. 

Tuesday Torque: Geiser Tractor...

 ...is as rare as they get. Geiser was in Waynesboro, PENNSYLVANIA. Anyone who grew up reading the Iron Men Album knows that! Thanks for the link, Merle! I did not know about this tractor. Click the photo for the link. 

Armadillo Cleanup Squad

 

                                                                                     

                                                                                    

Just like dinner down on the Rio Grande. Back To The Old Grind!

The Next Pest...

Groundhogs don't cause near as much damage as armadillos, still, they can drop a barn by digging around the poles. Groundhogs are kinda cute, too, and they can make a Sunday dinner for the family. I have mixed feelings.

April 19, 1775...

 The revolution began 250 years ago today. The shot heard 'round the World.

Weekend Steam: Steam Giants!

 Some good history in this one!

Out In The Daylight!

 There are two of these little barred owlets in the hollow hickory. One is bold and watches us closely. The other just barely peeks out at us. Every day has a new thrill!

We Got The Nasty Blighter!

 The armadillo is toast!

Eye Spy....

 ...A baby owl!

Tuesday Torque: Half Scale 60-90 Twin City Tractor!

 There is not much info available for this, but you can see that it is a massive undertaking. I bet this model easily makes more than 20 horsepower.

Finally, Good Weather To Work Outdoors!

We had this pin oak cut last fall, and we had most of it cut and moved, but nasty winter weather stopped us. We got back to it today and finished cutting a little wood, plus hauling off the limbs for wildlife brush piles. There is just a bit more to pick up and we will be ready to mow up the leaves to make it presentable. We used our Husky 385 XP with a 24 inch bar. We could have used a smaller saw, but then I have to bend over more while bucking. The big saw is a joy, and you need to run all of your saws regularly to keep the carburetors in shape. Back To The Old Grind!

You Can't See Me!

Goose Island update: Setting on eggs, no raccoons!
 

Weekend Steam: Foster Traction Engines

 Many thanks, Merle! We are all becoming familiar with engines across the pond through your suggestions.

Birds Today

The Kingfisher was shy, and the camera was focusing on the limb rather than the bird, but it still shows him pretty well. The geese are easy unless you want a video of them coming and going from the pond. Don't let the buzzard call your name. 
 

Breakfast Nook

 This black cherry stump is the place to chaw down on a nut. All that trash emanating from the stump is walnut hulls! There are a couple of nearby walnut trees, and our squirrels bring the nuts here for a safe haven while they eat. Pretty neat. Never sit with your back to the door!

They Are All Done For This Spring

The storms last week really finished them off!

 

Tuesday Torque: Mike And His Reeves Restoration...

...and more! Check out the work they are doing on the Aultman!  Thanks, Merle!

John Prine...

 ...left us five years ago today. Sure do miss him.

We Survived The Rain And Storms...

 ...and so did the owls! It's silly that we worry about them, but they are OK, and the turkey hen that has been hanging around the yard is fine, too. Our geese are nesting on Goose Island, and they survived the weather, too. 

Back To The Old Grind!

1907 Thomas Flyer!

 We saw this in person in 1998 when we visited Reno. 

Weekend Steam: Nice Lineup!

 Merle sent a link for a nice Facebook page on old engines. It is the Old Iron Garage, and there is also a YouTube channel with the identical name. It looks like all the videos are shorts, so I think that these are "borrowed" from full length videos made by others. They are good samples, though, so it is worth a look. If you do YouTube videos you can select whether or not others can do this with your content. I made shorts available from mine for a friend to use, and now I am seeing segments of my vids popping up in other places. If they don't credit your channel, it does you no good. Thanks, Merle!

Click the pic to see the video. You have to look quick to catch the different brands. I see M. Rumely, Advance Rumely, Gaar Scott, Case, Frick, Case, Nicholls, and Case, plus more on down the line. 

Oh Blow It Out Your Ear, Al!

 

Blowing Up With 2.7?

The first article on reloading I read was by Col. Jeff Cooper, about the problem of 38 Special target loads blowing up guns with 2.7 grains of Bullseye powder. That article has kept me safe for more than forty years. Bullseye and other fast burning economical powders are dense, and not much is needed in each load. A double load that gets past your quality control can blow up your gun. Exploded guns show up frequently on the Internet, and it usually comes back to quality control by the person loading the ammo. 

Hercules/Alliant pistol powders have been difficult to obtain in the last several years, so most of us can't find Bullseye, Unique, Herco, Blue Dot and 2400. Study current burn rate charts to find powders that will be similar in burn rate to the old standards you have used, and then find published, safe loading information for them. I've been using Winchester 244 and Hodgdon Tite Group of late. 

 Tite Group is very close in burn and charge rates to Bullseye, so you must be diligent in loading it. Win 244 is closer to Unique in burn and charge rates. It fits in about the same niche as Win 231. Study the photos at the top of the post and note how little space a charge of Tite Group occupies in a 38 Special case. A double charge is nearly the same as the maximum charge of this powder for a 357 load. That is enough to split a cylinder in a 38. You can easily fit four charges in a case and still load a bullet. If you are new to reloading, start with a single stage press and learn the processes before you move on to a progressive loader. Slow and steady makes for safe loads. 

Tuesday Torque: A Bit Late, But Better Than Never!

 Merle sent a link for a 15-30 IHC Mogul prairie tractor, and that is a great idea. Thanks, Merle! Here are some shorts with some very nice Moguls.

Buster Schipperke, June 21, 2008 – March 27, 2025

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"Why is it that a dog doesn’t get to live too long, but he still has to die,…old.*" Buster came to us as a foster in 2023 because Mary, his owner had a major health crisis.  Giving him up was a painful decision for her.  Buster was 15 years old, blind and deaf, but still active. We made the decision to keep him as a permanent foster, rather than adopt him out, and make him adapt to another new home. Our dogs accepted him, and he liked them. He soon romped with the rest of the pack in spite of his blindness, and would bark with joy. 

Buster had two kennels; one in our living room and the other in our bedroom. He could find both of them and would often retreat to his kennels to rest. He was vocal when he needed out, day or night; a real easy keeper. He always was easy to lead on leash for going in and out, until the last few weeks when his arthritis slowed him down. He loved to stroll in the yard outside the dog yard, where he could explore and sniff new smells. 

Susan threw a birthday party for Buster when he turned 16, and he really enjoyed that. Mary, his former owner, was able to come and visit Buster on a few occasions. Buster would recognize her immediately and become animated. Those visits were special times for all of us. Mary visited us just a few days before Buster had his final downturn in his health, and we are thankful that she was able to see him one more time.

Senior foster dogs can be difficult to adopt out. Most people looking for a dog are reluctant to take on a pet whose days are limited. You never know how long a dog will live. Some die young, and some make it past any expectations. 

We always figure a Schipperke is good for around 16 years. Old Skipper made it to 18. Our first Schip, Merky, lived to 16. That number is no guarantee, though. Old dogs are a joy. They don’t have wild streaks like a pup, and they are usually content to sit and provide company for you. 

You love them just as much as a dog you have had for many years, and of course when their time comes, the hurt and sorrow are the same. They become family, just like a young dog. Rest in Peace, Buster. You have been a great dog and a dear friend. 

*Jim Stafford