Not My Victrola: My Blue Heaven

My Blue Heaven is familiar to any fan of music from the 1920's. This version is a lively fox-trot that would soon have the needle skipping. I enjoyed the picture show that accompanies the record.

Last Night, 7:41P, A 3.4 Rolled Through

From about five miles north of Fairfield, Illinois. It sounded like thunder, and felt like a truck wrecked on the road.

May Mr. Completely e-Postal Coming To An End!

May will end Sunday night, so click on the May e-Postal over on the left side, print your targets, read the rules, and head to the range!

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat: Maytime, by Bennie Krueger's Orchestra

May is just about over, so we are slipping in just under the wire with this one. It's a peppy Fox-Trot, so push back the furniture and kick off your shoes.

Weekend Steam: Boone And Scenic Valley Railroad

I See Things In The Middle Of Nowhere

I was on my way to a timber appointment last week,  going down an obscure country blacktop when I met a pickup pulling a trailer. I saw flywheels as it went by, and in the mirror I saw this, only covered in dull red paint. I had no time to spare, so I kept on going. I finished my first appointment mid-day, and called another landowner that was close-by. He was home, so I headed to him, on a totally different road than I had traveled in the morning. Coming at me was the same truck, pulling a trailer! I stuck my arm out and flagged him down.

It's a Reid oilfield engine, and he was coming back from having it shot blasted to take off a bad paint job. I took some photos and visited a bit. You can see this engine in June at the SIAM show, Evansville, Indiana. (June 12-14) It should be up and running then, with some new paint to make it look pretty.

Bucking Rule Of Thumb

It's a general rule that you cut on the compressed side of a tree or log first. When making a bucking cut you dope that out, cut until you see the sides begin to close, then finish from the other side. Miscalculations usually mean you stick your saw. This is an embarrassment if others are working around you. Sometimes your mistake will split the log you are bucking, as happened to the log on the left in this photo.

Many years ago I was watching at a landing when one of the workers  bucked a walnut log wrong and split it nearly down the middle. That's an expensive mistake. It's important when falling a tree, too. Set up your front cut and hinge, then cut the heavy side of the back. Pound in a wedge, and cut out the light side. If you cut the light (tensioned) side first, the tree will sit down on your saw as you try to finish your cuts. It's unhandy, potentially very dangerous, and very embarrasing.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit Honored American Veterans Afield

This week we have a nearly intact Ruger .44 Magnum Carbine from 1973. This gun appears perfect, except it is missing the receiver sight that should be in the vertical dovetail on the left rear of the receiver. I think it would be easy to come up with a replacement, and the bidders seem to think the same. This fine little rifle will sell mid-day, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Click Here to see a series of photos, and HERE to place your bid. 100 % of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit Honored American Veterans Afield.

$1651

Crankin' It Up/Tuesday Turbo

I went looking for The Vacant Chair, and I am glad I didn't find it. It's too sad. I ran across this very nice record that is a bit of an oddity. Demonstration records had mostly been put aside by 1914, because everyone had at least seen a phonograph up close, and heard records play. This "demonstration" record really belongs in about 1905-1910, but here it is all the way up in 1914. It is in the pre-Great War era, so I guess it fits. You gotta love the fifes and drums. It is a fair question to ask, how many men were thrilled by these songs and others during the early days of the Civil War, and then signed on the line that sent them to their destiny?

Weekend Excitement

The old Kubota still runs well, but it is underpowered for our needs, and we are always wishing for 4-WD. The old L235 came to the country with Susan's parents thirty-some years ago, and it is time to update the equipment.

Just think of the possibilities of that loader! We have an old rotten stump in mind to try it out. Good times to follow!