Louis Armstrong and Ruth Etting recorded this classic in 1929. Listen closely to Louis. At 2:12 he quotes Rhapsody In Blue. Listen well to Leon Redbone, too. This is from his debut album in 1976, and jazz violinist Joe Venuti plays with him on this track. Joe was working hard during his revival, and this is one of his last recordings before he passed in 1978. His playing is unmistakable. When I checked this song I immediately looked up info on the recording, and there was Joe Venuti.
Many Thanks, Merle, for the suggestion!
The interview with Don Henley is well worth listening to, plus he sings Desperado at the end!
This is a fantastic look at a well kept engine. Note the angled blades on the paddle wheel as it turns. That is high tech in the steamboat realm, and greatly increases efficiency. Many Thanks, Merle!
We got all the top wood out of the timber before the snow and cold snap, but thirty some feet of good, long dead black oak got a foot of snow on it, and we had days of single digit temps. It finally go up to almost 30 degrees F, so I grabbed the rest of the wood before the ground has a chance to thaw. I think we are set now until warm weather. Now, to split forty-some big rounds of oak.
Poor old Hiram Perkins falls in love with the dancing girl at the circus. I wonder how it turned out for the lad. Recorded in November, 1920.
The final part of putting a tree on the ground is to escape from the stump at 135 degrees from the direction the tree is falling, or 45 degrees off the back of the tree. Forces going out will reflect directly back at the stump, so a 180 degree escape route is dangerous. These events happen with regularity, so incorporate your escape into your falling plan.
Ukulele Lady comes to us from 1925, and it has been a favorite of mine for most of my life. Do a search of this song on YouTube and you will be amazed at the number of artists who covered this song 100 years ago. Arlo Guthrie covered it in his Hobo's Lullaby album 50-some years ago, and I will add it in below Vaughn De Leath.
Here's a good video from YouTuber FortuneCookie45LC. I am glad to see he is still on YT. He gives out great information on loading your own ammo.
This may be the oldest IHC in existence. It certainly does have a serial number in the 100 range. Look at the builder's tag with magnification when it comes up. I can't read the second and third digits, but the first is 1. Many Thanks, Merle, for spotting this one!
I got out again the next day and bucked up all of the second black oak snag. All of the top wood has been carted up to the house, split and stacked. It is burning great in this cold spell. The butt end of the tree is at the house, and part of it is split, There are still thirty-some rounds that I must pick up and split, plus some that is unloaded under the eaves. That wood, once it is split, will be ready to burn before we let the fires go out in April. There will be wood left over to put away for next Fall.
Pinckneyville, August 2025. It was warm, and we had a great time. I especially liked the little Farmall that was retro-fitted with a one lung engine. The kid was having a good time driving it around. Don't let the snow and cold get you down. Stay off the roads. Make another pot of coffee. Don't fall down!
Miss Housley, "Frankie," was a stewardess for National Airlines. She was twenty-four years old and had been a stewardess for just four months. Frankie was called on January 13, 1951, and was on Flight 83, a DC-4, from Newark to Philadelphia on the 14th. Just after 2 P.M. they approached Philadelphia. There was a pilot, co-pilot and Frankie as the only crew, with twenty-five passengers. Conditions were near minimum and the runway was covered in ice. The plane went off the end of the runway, bridging a deep ditch and the left wing was torn open, spilling aviation gas. The fire started immediately. Frankie opened the door and saw the ten foot drop to the ground. She could have left, but went back in the cabin and began bringing people out who weren't making it on their own. She made ten trips taking people to the door and getting them out of the cabin. She went in an eleventh time, and was found later with four month old Brenda Joyce in her arms. There were four other women and another infant who also did not get out. There were 21 survivors. You have to wonder how many people are alive today because of Frankie's bravery that day. She was called The Bravest Woman In America by MacKinlay Kantor and others, and I think that title is still solid today. What a true hero! She is buried in Lynnhurst Cemetery, Knoxville, Tennessee.
You won't see many American Abell engines south of the Canadian border, because they were made up north. If you took the Iron Men Album 60 years ago you saw photos of them occasionally, and you might get lucky and see one in person at Rollag. Here are a few videos from the YouTube.
This went well in spite of having to hold the saw nearly shoulder height. That bit of awkwardness caused me to hit the far end of the hinge, but I got away with it. The tree was balanced pretty well side-to-side or I would have been in trouble. I give the first stump a grade of A, the second one, a C-. Gotta watch out and not do that again!
Today I was bucking, and moving rounds. More bucking tomorrow, then splitting and stacking.
Thanks, Merle! It's always a thrill when an engine begins to kick and then run!
January 6 a search warrant was served in Eagle Point, Oregon for a dog hoarding situation. The police chief contacted Midwest Schipperke Rescue ahead of time for advice and possible help in dealing with a tough situation. Midwest's founder got on the phone and contacted dog people out west, and soon had vets and techs lined up for the police in Eagle Point. Police recovered 58 live Schipperkes and 30 deceased dogs over a three day period. Veterinarians and other volunteers processed the live dogs on the scene before they went to the county animal shelter. The homeowner signed over nine puppies and two adults to MSR at the scene, and those dogs were transferred out of the shelter to volunteers in Oregon six days later.
Sweet Pea, a very pregnant female gave birth to seven live puppies last week, and six survive. One little boy could not gain weight, and he passed today. Some of the dogs have already been placed in homes that will become permanent. Others have adopters picking them up soon.
Thank You, Merle! One of the comments says the Daylight is sporting a CB&Q five chime whistle!
Lira isn't ready to go to a home yet, but she is improving. She now enjoys sitting on the couch with us and the last couple days she climbs onto my lap. She is still a nervous girl who barks at small disturbances, but the progress is happening.
We are feeding the stoves the good stuff tonight and for the next several nights. Hard woods, not the birch, except for getting the fires recharged in the morning. Bradford pear is hard and dense, lots of BTUs! Big chunks of Bradford run all night long.
Merle sent the link for the Minne that is plowing. Many Thanks, Merle. This one is running great.
I shot this video at Rollag. The 35-70 Minne isn't quite tuned perfectly, but it settled in and pulled 74 horsepower on the Prony Brake.
Henry Burr was a prolific recorder, making more than 12,000 recordings. If you collect any old records, you probably have him in your cabinet!
This catalpa has been a joy all of our married life. It was a sapling when we were married and it provides a beautiful show of flowers every spring. It will have to come down, and luckily, catalpa is dependable for making stump sprouts, so it will rise again!
Back To The Old Grind!
Many thanks to Merle for spotting Someplace or Another's short video on the big Bucyrus shovel at Rollag. Every steam fan should try to get to Rollag, and two or three visits would be even better. I will drop my video of the beast below the short.
Stumbling, Billy Murray, Victor record, 1922.
The raccoons are squalling and fighting every night, driving the dogs nuts when they are out, but the turkeys and the deer have settled down. We had 50 turkeys around the dog yard at one time the other day. I hope they have good conditions and raise a bunch of young'uns this year.
School Days, When We Were A Couple Of Kids, Byron G. Harlan, 1907.
It's just a bit more than a month until Valentine's Day so we are starting our annual song fest for that great day. Let's start off with Jimmie Rodgers with one of his final recordings. The Last Blue Yodel, Women Make A Fool Out Of Me!
There has been an eagle hanging around the pond for the last couple weeks. It will sit and watch the water for long periods with the patience of a cat. I hope we see it grab a fish. We don't let our Schips out unaccompanied. A Schipperke would be an easy kill for a bald eagle, so we go out and keep watch over them.
Trees grow up and out every year. After deer season is over, visit every stand and loosen the straps so the tree doesn't embed metal. I will be carrying a ladder around my woods for a few days because tree stands are wrecking some of our sawlogs. I will have to do surgery to separate them, and I think these trees are ruined. Be a thoughtful guest when you hunt on the property of others. Don't use nails, spikes, or screws, and after you are done hunting, give the tree some breathing room. You can strap them in snug again next Fall.
Click the photos for a closer look.
Many Thanks, Merle! Everyone note how you start this antique beast. It has a pony motor! I don't know if this was standard or an option. It sure is neat!
....stores in Mt. Vernon, IL were taking down Christmas decorations and decorating for Valentine's Day. Oh Well. We always like to post songs for Valentine's Day for a month, but may start early. But today is Epiphany, so one more Christmas Song for all of you!
Logger and chainsaw instructor Joe Glenn showed us how to make a stump vise way back in '09 at the Dixon Springs Ag Center. It's easy to do and just takes a few minutes, in case you rock your saw and need to do some serious filing.
Back To The Old Grind!
This is a fascinating process to witness on little wagon wheels. There is a video on YouTube of the entire process of building one of these wagons. Update: Many thanks to the commenters! Below is a video from Engel's Coach Shop, and if you like this sort of thing you should hit the subscribe button on his channel.
