Weekend Steam II: 1903 White Steam Car

Courtesy of Merle. Thank You!

 

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Ukulele Lady, Vaughn De Leath, and Arlo Guthrie

 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. 

Weekend Steam: Baby Marion Steam Shovel

 This is a cute little guy, Merle, Many Thanks!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Meet Me By The Ice House, Lillie, Hoosier Hotshots

Valentine's Day Song Festival! You Never Left Me, Megan Moroney

 

Valentine's Day Song Festival! My Lady Of The Telephone, 1915

One of our favorites, from way back!

Wednesday Windage: Adjusting Point Of Impact With Load Adjustments

 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.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Girl From The North Country, Flatt and Scruggs

This song comes to mind during cold spells, and I think of the Schipperkes that we have placed in northern homes.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Wasting My Love On You, Cheap Suit Serenaders

Tuesday Torque: The Oldest International Gas Engine?

 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!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Unforgettable, Nat King Cole

 

Sub-Zero, Drastic Measures!

The snow is too much to scoop, and we can't get out of the driveway, so tomorrow morning we will be using a bucket of fire to warm up the oil in the Kubota. We did that in January of '09 with the old 2 wheel drive tractor and it worked just great. Keeping our fingers crossed. Back To The Old Grind!

 

Valentine's Day Song Festival! It Had Better Be Tonight, Michael Buble

 

The Dry Wood Is All At The House

 

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.

Remember The Warm, Sunny Days

 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!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! I Got You, Babe, Sonny and Cher, 1965

 

Seventy Five Years Ago, The Bravest Woman

 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.

Weekend Steam: American Abell Traction Engines

 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.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Cheek To Cheek, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, 1935

Valentine's Day Song Festival! My Blue Heaven, Gene Austin, 1928

 

Double Black Oak Snag, Cut and Buck

 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.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Sleepy Time Gal, Lewis James, 1926

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Did You Ever See A Dream Walking? Gene Austin, 1933

Wednesday Windage: The Versatile .44 Magnum, Tim Sundles

Tuesday Torque II; How Wooden Propellers Are Made!

Tuesday Torque: Will It Start? We've All Been There!

 Thanks, Merle! It's always a thrill when an engine begins to kick and then run!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Buffalo Gals, Arlo Guthrie

Midwest Schipperke Volunteers Have Been Busy!

 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. 

Puppies in a volunteer foster home.

Puppy Pile and Corki

Sweet Pea...

... And some of her puppies. Little Blue Boy is the one who passed today. 

Susan and I have been busy for two weeks with this project. We have had a lot of applications from people wanting to adopt dogs, and we have to screen everyone, then interview, etc. We are not done yet. There will be a court hearing next week to determine the status of the forty-some dogs in the county shelter that came from the hoarding situation. Sweet Pea's pups will also have to be placed in good homes when they are ready to leave their mother.  

Not a grind! We are helping Schipperkes and meeting (Online, On Phone) good people all over the country.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Strangers In The Night, Frank Sinatra

Weekend Steam II: Shay Number 4, Cass Scenic Railroad

 Thank You, Merle!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Tea For Two, Helen Clark and Lewis James, 1924

Weekend Steam: Battling Whistles!

 Thank You, Merle! One of the comments says the Daylight is sporting a CB&Q five chime whistle!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Dance Me To The End Of Love, Leonard Cohen

 

Lira Is Progressing Nicely!

 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. 

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Cole Porter's Let's Misbehave, Irene Bordoni, Irving Anderson And His Commanders, 1928

 

Black Oak and Bradford Pear

 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.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! He'd Have To Get Under, Get Out And Get Under, Billy Murray, 1914

Wednesday Windage: Ethical Shooting Distance

 

Valentine's Day Song Festival! When My Baby Smiles At Me, Ted Lewis

Tuesday Torque: 35-70 Minneapolis

 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.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! When My Baby Smiles, Henry Burr, 1920

 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!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Campbell and Burr, Smiles, 1918

 

It's Always Something Department

 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!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Falling In Love Again, Marlene Dietrich

Weekend Steam II: The Sandbox At Rollag

 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.

Weekend Steam: Steam Powered Motorcycle!

Thank You, Merle. Two wheels, four power strokes per revolution!

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Hit The Dance Floor With Your Sweetie!

 Stumbling, Billy Murray, Victor record, 1922.

Backyard Wildlife

 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.

Valentine's Day Song Festival! Nellie and Joe

 School Days, When We Were A Couple Of Kids, Byron G. Harlan, 1907.

Valentine's Day Song Festival!

 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!

Thunder Chicken!

 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.

Wednesday Windage: Loosen Your Tree Stand After Deer Season

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.

 

Tuesday Torque: 12-25 IHC Mogul Tractor

 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!

The Day After Christmas....

 ....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!

An Idea Worth Revisiting

 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!

Weekend Steam II: Little Train In The Snow

Many Thanks to Merle for another great pick. I like the full cab around this little loco. Good for winter!

Borax Wagon Wheel

 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. 

Weekend Steam: 120 Year Old Shay Loco

Thanks, Merle!

 

Susan Is A Pile-It!

She has piled firewood from one end of the house to the other. Full frontal firewood!