Crankin' It Up

Paul Whiteman recorded this classic by Zez Confrey on March 30, 1922.

Beginner's Guide To Shooting Competitions-Ruger Rimfire

Ruger keeps posting them, and I will keep bringing them to you! Here is the latest from Ruger, which tells us about Ruger's rimfire competitive events. Ruger's notes from YouTube: "Working with your firearm at a shooting competition isn't only a great way to get to know your weapon, it's also a great way to get to know other shooters. Whether you prefer a pistol or a rifle, shooting on your feet or on a horse, these competitions have something to offer everyone. The Beginner's Guide to Shooting Competitions series takes you through a variety of matches to help you find an event that's right for you.
What is Ruger Rimfire?
In this episode we look at what is needed to participate in an of the Ruger Rimfire competitions that take place across the United States.
Ruger Director of Media Relations Ken Jorgensen tells you what you need to know to have a fun and safe time at one of these exciting, family friendly events."

It is really great to see and hear Ken Jorgensen, who has been communicating (along with Lori Petoske) with Bea and Mr. Completely about GBR VI and the Ruger Convertible Blackhawk Giveaway. Ruger makes great products, and they have great people working in their organization.

Not My Victrola

Pax41 shares a Helen Kane recording from 1930 that is really a hoot. I think Helen would have frozen off her tootsies during this winter.

Weekend Steam

Stan Matthews brought West Side Lumber Company Shay Number 9 to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa in 1966, and it has been going around the Midwest Old Threshers show grounds ever since.  Forty five years is a pretty long gig, and the logging locomotive is now going to have another job to add to its resume.  Midwest Central Railroad recently worked out a deal with the Georgetown Loop Railroad to swap engines for a period of seven to ten years.

The big Shay was recently loaded up on a trailer and shipped west on Interstate 80.  Click over to the Midwest Central Railroad Blog to see photos of the loading process, and for links related to the move.

The Georgetown Loop has been missing walk-in business during the tourist season because their engines are not able to pull heavy loads.  One of the engines on the Colorado tourist railroad will be shipped to Iowa as part of the business arrangement, where it will be used during the annual Labor Day weekend show, and the special events in October and December.  This swap is a big change for both organizations, and it should be good for both parties.  Be sure to attend Old Treshers this year to see a "new" locomotive at Mt. Pleasant.

Gun Blogger Rendezvous VI: You Don't Want To Miss It!

Gun Blogger Rendezvous attendees all know Bea, and they also know that she is passionate about her Ruger Blackhawk .45 Convertible.  Most folks find it surprising that that True Blue Sam's 110 pound mother shoots a big bore revolver until they give it a try, then, of course, they want one, too.  It is a joy to shoot!  How does a grandmother who never shot a pistol before make the leap to a .45 that could hang on Marshall Dillon's hip?

Bea was widowed in 2005, and made the decision to stay in her home, and that required being able to protect herself if an intruder broke in, so she took up shooting pistols at age 77.  She started out with a little .22 auto, and then went shopping for a .22 revolver.  She found a 1973 vintage Ruger Single Six at the Coralville Scheel's store and discovered that she really loved shooting a single action revolver. 

Scheel's had a .45 Convertible Blackhawk when Bea went shopping for a centerfire pistol, and it seemed like a good choice, since it would have less muzzle blast than a .357, and the big slow bullets produce manageable recoil in a steel framed gun.  It turned out to be a fantastic choice for a house gun.

(Photo Credit: Deb)

She fell in love with this pistol the first time out on the range.  The recoil is easy to handle, the grip and the big hammer are friendly to small, arthritic hands, and you can hit what you are shooting at. Bea also discovered that other shooters don't pick up their .45 auto brass, so she went home with lots of empty brass that she could reload.

Rolling her own loads makes shooting even more enjoyable, and picking up free brass makes every range trip an adventure.  Are you beginning to want a .45 Convertible Blackhawk now?  Good!

Lori Petoske, the Marketing Communications Manager for Sturm Ruger Firearms, represented Ruger at GBR V last September.  Lori really hit it off well with all of the attendees, and this connection to Ruger gave Mom an idea.  She has had the time of her life at the Rendezvous, and she wants to give even more to the event to help Project Valour-IT, so she decided to purchase a Convertible Blackhawk to be raffled off at GBR VI next September.  Lori Petoske, and Ken Jorgensen of Ruger have made arrangements with Bea to provide a certificate for a new Ruger Blackhawk .45 Convertible to one lucky person at the Rendezvous this year.  The winner will have to be a registered attendee, and must also be present on the evening of the raffle.  Ruger will ship the gun to an FFL for the winner.  Bea promises not to grab the certificate if her ticket is drawn first!  Blackhawks are excellent pistols for hunting, recreational shooting and home defense.  Shoot one, and you will want one.  Come to the Rendezvous and maybe you will win one!

Crankin' It Up (Second Time Around)

YouTube listeners started talking about the sound quality of the True Blue Sam theme song record, and while this Frank Crumit recording is nearly ninety years old, and has been played many times, I decided to redo it with the good microphone. I left the old one up on the sidebar, so we can all do a comparison now and see if I am getting any better at making recordings off of the old windup Brunswick.

Running Out Of Gas

True Blue Sam is really getting low on gas engine videos from last year, but winter will eventually give way to engine shows again, and we will shoot some new videos for your viewing pleasure. I had a John Deere hit-and-miss engine long, long ago, and it had a spark plug, with a Model T coil for an ignition system. I didn't realize that my engine was rarer, and much more collectible than the engines with ignitors, and I let it go too cheaply when I needed cash. Oh Well, it's probably making someone else happy today.

Toopie Trots!

Toopie continues to improve in his recovery from a stroke on December 1 of last year. He now is practically running, and is ranging out to run all over the yard. We may have to start leashing him again so he doesn't run off. I am still incredulous  astounded at the changes we see in Toopie every day. I thought he was a goner the day the stroke took him down.

Home Again

I headed back to Southern Illinois Tuesday morning.  The car thermometer showed 2 below when I left Washington, Iowa, and 16 above  in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  There was lots of snow until the last few miles, and most of it has melted off around home while I was gone.  I spotted this water tower in Pike County, Missouri as I headed north on Sunday, and made the turn-off today to grab a few photos.

The Frozen North

 I am on the road for a few days to visit Bea up in Iowa, and have been marveling at her 14" to 16" of snow.  She couldn't get out of the house for a couple days while she waited for someone to dig out her doors and driveway.  Pretty good for February.

Way back in the 1930's, these poor folks didn't know that winter storms were caused by global warming, and they just kept on milking their cows, who made more methane, which is the reason that we have winters yet today.  Oh yes, they also had a Model T.

It's a good thing someone invented endloaders so we can handle all of this Al Gore effulgence.  Turn up the thermostat a degree or two, and pretty soon we might have daffodils!