I keep coming back to the same thought on using .22 ammo for self defense. Buy premium ammo. Bulk ammo (for me at least) is where dud rounds occur. Find what works for you and use the bulk ammo for practice only. Also, micro pistols do not work well with old, arthritic hands. Don't buy a tiny little pocket pistol for your elderly mother. It will not work!
Here's Gun Sam:
We have been watching the goldenrod come on for several weeks now, and it is really bright, and in many large patches as we drive through the country. Ironweed is scarce this year, but boneset is abundant. Be sure to hang some to dry for treating cold and flu treatments come winter!
And of course we must listen to Voices Of Music!
Merle sent a short video (Thank You, Merle!) about this railway, and when I look on YouTube there are more videos about it than you can shake a stick at! I grabbed a couple, and I hope you like them. There is no "Coast Daddy, Coast! on this trip!
...in both time and space. This beautiful bur mill was working at an engine show at Harrodsburg, Kentucky back in 1978 or 1979. Neat fact placing it for us is the Hagen gas engine in the background, just over the belt running the mill. It is a rare Kentucky built engine with a unique carburetion system. It's unmistakable, making for an easy engine identification quiz.
Here's a collection of photos we have from Midwest Old Threshers at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa from the 1950s into the early 2000s. If you have followed this blog for a while you will recognize many of the pictures.
Please note the pretty little Gaar Scott engine at 1:40 to 1:43. This engine belonged to Everett (Pat) Holtcamp of Winfield, Iowa. I remember seeing this engine in the Iron Men Album many years ago in a column by Gil Johnson of Wisconsin. Pat's two daughters were running the engine in his photo. I looked for it, but could not remember what issue of Iron Men it was in, so I did a Google search for Gil Johnson, Dairyland Driftings, and that column was number 1 in the results! Here's the link to it. Farm Collector owns the Iron Men archives now, but you can go have a look. 16 HP Holtcamp Gaar I did some searches looking for Pat's obit, but could not locate it. I did learn that his home burned in the early 90s, severely injuring him, and killing Gertrude, his wife. Sad news like that hits you as if it just happened...
Here's a better look at the Gaar Scott in action, from my 1966 issue of Iron Men Album. Farm Collector's scan is poor quality.
Cooler weather should be moving in next week and we will push ahead with this sycamore project. Hickory and black oak trees also await!
We never tire of sunrise and sunset. It's a new show every time. This thunderhead near St. Louis provided a little crepuscular ray action the other day.
Merle picked a Must-See for engine lovers. Coolspring Power Museum is a collection that will overwhelm your senses. There is more history than you can imagine, and you should look up videos online to get a sample, then plan your trip to Pennsylvania. Thanks, Merle!
There are a few pieces from up high that I can pick up, but nearly all of this sycamore has to be handled by the loader. Rolling those big chunks around on the splitter is enough of a challenge for this old man! The moisture is checking out around 50%, and you can see free water come out when the wedge digs in. This will take a few days.
After all the excitement about Big Boy 4014 this year, we need to remember Number 844, the only steam locomotive that was never retired, and also run by Union Pacific. According to an interview with Ed Dickens, the 844 needs some work done on it, but steam locos are known for their high maintenance demands, and I am sure U.P. will be featuring 844 again. It is a beast of an engine! Many thanks to Merle for this!
Thanks, Merle! One of my favorite engines! This Corliss pumped water for the city of Marshalltown, Iowa for many years.
I shot this low quality video way back in 2008:
And this one in 2010!
..."Jim Bridger, the legendary mountain man and storyteller is famously credited with that quote. According to historical lore, Bridger made the remark following a surgical operation. At the Battle of Pierre's Hole in 1832, Bridger was shot in the back with a Blackfeet arrow. He famously carried the three-inch iron arrowhead embedded in his flesh for nearly three years before a doctor, Marcus Whitman, finally cut it out during a mountain man rendezvous in 1835. When the doctor expressed amazement that the deeply embedded wound had never become infected or septic over those three years, Bridger casually dismissed it with his trademark humor, replying, “Meat don’t spoil in the Rockies.”
Watch the following video and remember, if you are going to be shot with an arrow, make sure you are in the Rockies!
There are no CCI Stingers in this video, but from earlier videos I know that Stingers are very close to Federal Punch in performance. The Punch ammo has a flat nose, and that enhances the wound channel, but in 22 LR, that is still not large. I have been shooting both, and they work well on varmints around the homestead. 22 Magnum really hurts your ears if you don't have ear protection, but the performance on critters is amazing. Notice that there are a few references about functioning in a semi-auto with 22 Magnum. There are no problems with functioning in a revolver. The Ruger Wrangler now comes in convertible form, so a budget friendly option is there for you if you want the 22 Magnum option.
Shelling corn with a hand cranked sheller was a daily task in farms all over the country. An old corn sheller was always one of the things you would see at a farm estate auction. I haven't cranked one in years, but we still have a few in the barn, and some hand cranked bur mills, too. Many Thanks to Merle for spotting this one.
Holiday for many, just another day for others.
Big news for the Sandbox at Rollag. Head north!
Fixed it! Sorry about the wrong vid!
Get yourself over to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa for Old Threshers this weekend. The weather is forecast for a little cooldown on Sunday, so no excuses. There is more to see than you can do in one day. Traction engines, antique tractors, old gas engines, steam locomotives, and much, much more. If you are a middle aged man, do not stand close to the stage in the saloon when the girls are singing. They will pull you on stage to embarrass you!
This photo is from Dana Close Jennings' book, Old Threshers at XXX, published in 1979. I like to show this because my brother Ben and his son Mike are in it.
You might catch a ride in the caboose. Climb up to the cupola for a great view as you circle the grounds.
Many Thanks, Merle for spotting this one! It took a bit of genius level thought to put this together.
Occasionally you will have to deal with trees that are big springpoles, loaded with energy and ready to knock your head off if you cut one of them wrong. Nipping in the inside middle of the bend works if you don't have to work above your shoulders. Take too big of a nip and you will have your saw pinched, so that can be a problem. I have been using a different technique that has worked for me every time. Make a face cut down low on the inside, and then make a vertical bore cut behind the face cut to establish the hinge without taking out much of the tensioned back strap. As you do this, go easy and work the saw in and out, because the compression will try to come down on your chain and bar. You will feel it, but you can stay in charge. After you have the hinge made, stand back as far as you can and cut the back strap. Do not stand in line with the stem, because it might kick back. Practice this on a safe tree and you will be ready when a real challenge comes along.
Drive an old vehicle and you will have to deal with brake repairs. A brake line was dripping on the old pickup and another adjacent line was nearly rusted through. After removing both of those lines, the entire brake system was full of air, so after replacing the lines we began bleeding at the far end of the system and worked our way back. A patient assistant is a must, and you must get out from under after several pumps to replenish the brake fluid in the master cylinder. You may have to touch up the bleeding after you have made the full round, but you can do this. The old beater is back on the road today! Replace the protectors on your bleeders to keep them from clogging with road grime. (PS, This is the easy part after removing rusty brake line fittings and assembling new line into your system!) (PPS, Do NOT use incandescent trouble lights under your vehicle while working with brake fluid! That stuff will light up your garage. The Studebaker garage in Swedesburg, Iowa caught fire many years ago when a light bulb broke. The mechanic was under a car and barely escaped.)
