Weekend Steam: Big Boy 4014 Returns To Cheyenne

 We have been watching Big Boy nearly every day on the coast to coast journey, and now it looks like a normal engine to us. I did not expect that! 

Good Weather, A Little Time To Spare, Range Night!

 Susan and I fed the dogs early and went to Carmi! Nice breeze, mid-80s, great company, good times!

 

Wednesday Windage: Let's Talk About Wounds

 I have to say up front that I have my prejudices on how to carry, and what type of holster to use for carrying. Kydex that covers the trigger on your semi-auto, striker-fired, no-manually operated safety, pistol is a solid safety system. You still must operate safely when drawing, and reholstering. Reholstering with a semi-auto to me means removing the holster, inserting the firearm, and then reattaching the holster; but never over the appendix for me. Drawing in a hurry, under stress, means that you might make a mistake. Mistakes can wreck you. 

Now, let's listen to a surgeon explain what bullets can do to a body.

Tuesday Torque II: Allis Chalmers 6-12 Duplex, 1920

 Merle keeps finding them, we keep posting them! I have never seen one of these. It is an early articulated 4 wheel drive tractor from 1920, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is a unique relic. I have never seen a picture or heard of these. Tuning the two engines to run with each other is probably a real trick. Many Thanks, Merle!

Tuesday Torque: Melting Babbit Bearings

Pouring new babbit bearings is a skill that engine hobbyists may learn. It comes in handy, even if you have just one bearing to replace. This is a connecting rod bearing on a really big bearing at Youngstown Steel Heritage, being melted out in preparation for a new bearing to be poured.  Huge thanks to Merle for spotting this one!

Final Big Transport!

 Wilbur and Olive went to their respective homes last week in Pacifica and Reno. The van hauling ten rescued Schips went from Central Point, Oregon to Wisconsin, then Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and then to drop off dogs from other customers to New York, then Florida. One dog from the hoard is left to deliver on Monday, by Galveston Bay. Littlefoot, the favorite of the staff at Dogs For Better Lives.

The transport dropped two with us in southern Illinois. We have Vesper and Leo. Vesper was fostered for three months by a trainer in Wisconsin and we will be having her spayed this week.  Leo needs a little finishing, but he is decompressing well since his 40 plus hour trip in the van. Both are beautiful dogs and will make fine pets for someone. 

Vesper

Leo

There are only four dogs left to adopt now, and all are out of Oregon and in the Midwest.  Back To The Old Grind!

Early Fall?

 The last two morning have felt like fall is in the air. We had 59 degrees when we got up Friday, and we had mist on the pond. Today the high was only in the mid 80s. It will go beastly again, no doubt, and I am glad for the relief the crops are getting.

Weekend Steam: Big Boy At St. Louis and Kansas City

 Leaving St. Louis:

Leaving Kansas City:

This Would Be A Blast, But My Firewood Is Too Darn Precious!!

 

Major Milestone For The Hoarded Schipperkes!

                                                 Wilbur

                                                                              Olive

Wilbur and Olive are the final dogs to leave Dogs For Better Lives at Central Point, Oregon. Susan was hoping to have all the dogs placed and moved by the end of July and that has happened! Eight dogs are now in the Midwest, with two going in their respective homes tonight in Wisconsin. The rest are going to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Texas. Wilbur and Olive were picked up by our transporters today, Thursday evening, and are on the road. Wilbur is going to Pacifica, California and Olive is going to Reno, Nevada. The hard part for us is done now, and phone calls will slow down. Spay and neuter reimbursements will be processed for a few more months, and then this project will be over. The good people in Oregon who volunteered made it all possible, and many generous donors made the rehabbing and transports work. Dogs For Better Lives invested countless hours with the dogs and they have come out in great shape. Photos and videos of adopted dogs in their homes are coming in now, and they are a joy.

Pacing Big Boy

 

Big Boy, Thursday, Friday

 

Montana Teen Rescues A Drowning Man!

An Evening With Ed Dickens

This is a wonderful presentation by Ed Dickens, telling about his steam history, and the road to rebuilding the 4014.

Wednesday Windage II: .475 Turnbull

Wednesday Windage: Illinois FOID News

Big Boy Heading To Jefferson City, Missouri

Big Boy, Pacific, Missouri

Tuesday Torque III: Atlas Imperial Marine Engine, Made In Oakland, California

Beautiful engine, Merle! Thanks for sending this one! Makes me think of Walter Mitty! Pocketa-Pocketa!

Tuesday Torque II: Witte Powered Homebuilt

 Suggested by Merle! Thank You, Merle!

Tuesday Torque: Cold Lanz Bulldog Startup

Big Boy Near Washington, Missouri

Big Boy In St. Louis

 

Another Busy Week!

Ten dogs from the hoarding case remain at Dogs For Better Lives at Central Point, Oregon. A breakdown delayed their transport, but that is currently scheduled for this week. A really big forest fire north of DFBL could complicate matters, so we don't want any north winds in southwest Oregon. Seven of the dogs have homes waiting for them on this trip. Two will be going to a trainer in Indiana for finishing before they can be adopted. Leo, in the photo does not have an adopter, so he will be coming to us to foster until we can place him.  When the transporter hits the road it is a 24 hour a day job driving and delivering, so Susan has her phone with her around the clock to help with coordination updates.

Last week we delivered Miska, who is one of Dottie's pups, who stayed with us for six weeks. She really finished out strongly, nailing down her house pet skills. She is making her new family very happy.

We are seeing the new crop of fawns running around in the yard, too! Always a joy to see!

 

Weekend Steam II: Interviews With Ed Dickens

Link To Video

Weekend Steam: Where's Big Boy?

 Through Illinois, from Chicago to St. Louis. This is near Pontiac.

Springfield, Illinois

Near Girard, Illinois.

Big Boy At the Arch.

Transitions For Rescued Schips

Dottie (Now at new home in Montana.) and her pups. Photo by Foster Mom Taomi.

Dottie's pups doing well! Mary Jane is now Miska. Photos by Foster Mom Taomi.
 

Miska and Mina arrived at Lambert.

Mina is now in northern Illinois at her home. Miska has been at our house for a bit, but is moving on to Indiana. She had a shower tonight before bedtime.

"You're sending me AWAY?!" Life will be good, little girl!

 

Potted/Ball and Burlap Disaster

July is really not the time to talk about tree planting, but we saw a disaster happening yesterday that illustrates the necessity of planting correctly. This white pine was probably a balled and burlapped tree. When you plant a potted or burlapped tree you need to get down on your knees and dig your hole to the proper depth. Bust up the soil at the bottom and adjust the hole depth so the soil on the tree is level with the surrounding soil. Remove the pot/burlap, and set the tree in the hole, and make it plumb/vertical. Then get out your pruners or a sharp knife and cut all of the circling roots. Circling roots will girdle, stunt, and ultimately kill the tree if you leave them. Fill in the hole, compact it in with your little shovel, and water down the soil. A little more fill can go in then. Use a small shovel or entrenching tool. A long handled shovel is awkward and your result will be sloppy, with air spaces around the perimeter. Small shovel, on your knees, plumb stem, pruned roots, no air space, water. Enjoy your tree the rest of your life. 

Hickory Tastes Good!

 

Here's a cerambycid beetle!

Shooting, or Shooting Pictures?

Well, here I am at the Carmi Rifle Club last Saturday. I was way down in the standings, 122 seconds for hitting 120 targets, and it looks good in a still photo. Compared to the folks who practice regularly, not so good. Dawson had the best time. 77 point something seconds on 120 targets. I had just one miss in the match, and no malfunctions. I shoot about one second faster per 5 shots when I use a scope instead of iron sights. I like to shoot regularly with irons, just so I can do it well in an emergency. I got some good video of the contestants shooting, and my cleaning station helped out a few shooters who had problems. 

 

Tuesday Torque: A Remarkable Auction Is Coming Up Soon!

 Aumann Auction will be selling a museum collection soon, and you will want to watch this on the internet, if not in person. Take your big billfold with you! This is an extremely rare opportunity. 

Click The Pic For The Link!

Susan And David, The Early Days...

 Time does get away from you.  Susan and I just passed our 51st wedding anniversary, and we still are feeling young and energetic. We are also glad to be retired so we don't have to run off to work every morning. Every evening we set up the coffee maker and remark that we can hardly wait for 5 o'clock so we can have coffee. We met totally by accident at Mizzou many years ago and soon started dating. The first time she met my roommates, one of them said, "Wait until you hear the kind of music he listens to!" Turned out that she liked my kind of music. Our phone calls nearly always ended with one of these songs, way back in the 70s. 

My Lady Of The Telephone

Hello Cutie

Everybody Calls Me Honey

True Blue Sam The Traveling Man

FIRE!

 Hoo Boy! Midwest Schipperke Rescue has been working on placing dogs from the Eagle Point, Oregon hoarding situation since January 6, and the end is in sight. Ten dogs are still at Dogs For Better Lives, and Susan has been on the phone and email all day (Sunday, July 12) making final arrangements for adoptions and transport.  Moving the last ones became an emergency early Sunday because of a forest fire (four square miles!) north of Central Point, and the smoke is rolling in. DFBL may have to evacuate. Studying the aerial and ground photos, the facility is not really in danger of burning, but that mountainside just north of DFBL is low trees, just the kind of fuel that burns ferociously. Our transporter is picking up two dogs early tomorrow and delivering those to California and Nevada, then going back for the rest, which will be coming east. One of them will go all the way to New Hampshire. This week will be busy with many communications to adopters and the transporter.

If strong winds come out of the north, Dogs For Better Lives will be getting a load of smoke!

Lots of clean, defensible space around the facility.

We will be watching the fire weather for SW Oregon!

 Wilbur heads to California Monday!

The Grinding never ends!

UPDATE!!! Our transporter had a vehicle breakdown and has postponed the first pickup until the week of July 20. Susan had to make a lot more calls to let the adopters readjust their schedules, but she got it done. Pray for favorable winds and moderate fire weather in southwest Oregon. The action is on the north end of the fire the last time I checked. 

Weekend Steam IV: Start Them Young!

Beautiful cross-compound showman's engine! Note the baby being inoculated with steam fever!  Thanks, Merle!

 

16th Annual Young Leader Pistol Shoot, Carmi Rifle Club

 

Carmi Rifle Club and the White County (IL) Farm Bureau hosted the 16th annual Young Leader Pistol Shoot on July 11, 2026. It was a cloudy and cool day for July and all the participants had a great time. Sponsors and entry fees support several scholarships given to local high school graduates every year. 

Winners got ammo, and one got a new Browning!

The lucky ones who braved a nasty forecast and came anyway!

Link To White County Farm Bureau Facebook Report

Weekend Steam III: Big Boy Wheel Slip At Horseshoe Curve

Weekend Steam II: Interview With Ed Dickens

Weekend Steam: Tracking Big Boy

Splittin' Hickory!

Those big rounds are killers! Tomorrow I will be lifting them with the tractor! The bottom eight feet of the stem is bug eaten and punky, the rest is really good wood. 

 

I See Dead Hickories!

 The hickory in this video has been dead for about a year, evidently struck by lightning during one of the many thunderstorms. I found another one near the north barn, so we will have some high Btu wood in the barn for cold days. The speed with which hickory rots after it dies is stunning.  Don't waste time thinking about it, Get it down, buck it, split it, get it under cover!

Wednesday Windage II: Keep Your Gunsmith Happy!

 

Wednesday Windage: Be Proficient With The Tools At Hand!

Tuesday Torque: Really BIG Engine!

 Another excellent suggestion from our friend Merle! Thank You, Merle!

Huge Advance In Farm Technology!

Not Old Grind! Neat New Deal!

Mother and Babe

 

Weekend Steam: Big Boy Returns To The Rails!

Capitol Fourth 2026

Fourth Of July Special At West Point (2019)

Tree ID, Shumard and Swamp Chestnut Oak

 Here are a couple of versatile oaks, both are suitable for planting on a variety of sites. These are both upper bottomland trees that can handle fairly tight soils, but they can also move upslope and still grow well. A pretty good rule of thumb for planting trees is that you can move tree species upslope, but not downslope.

Just In Time For July Evenings!

Wednesday Windage II: Worst Gun In History?