Wonderful Things...

...fly into the airport across the road. I can count on seeing a plane worth stopping to look at a few times a year. This beauty is a 1946 Piper Grasshopper that appears to be fresh from restoration. The owner was kind enough to let me take a few photos, and I learned he was flying it from Ohio to Kansas. Note the wood prop with 85 ponies to spin it. Nearly all of the pilots who flew during World War II started their training in a Piper.

Easy-To-Make No-Weld Target Stands

We bought some 12" gongs to go along with the  Redcoat Gong from Rifleman Training Targets.  I assembled this system using 1/2" re-bar and 1/2" pipe tees and nipples.  It's easy to assemble and you can leave a set assembled, minus the legs for transport to and from the range.

You can use 4' lengths of re-bar for the legs, but they will sink deep in soft springtime mud.  You can save a few bucks by making your legs out of ripped 2 X 4 scraps.  One 2' piece of re-bar will make pegs for all four legs.  Drill the holes slightly undersize so the pins don't fall out.

Our gongs are from Rifleman Training Targets.  They are made of AR 500 steel, and they are water-cut.  Be sure to check the photo gallery when you visit the website.

Train Whistle Blues, Merle Haggard

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The USA Shooting Team

If you have a hankerin' to go moose hunting it doesn't get any better than this!  Ruger is selling a .375 H & H Magnum M77 Magnum Rifle this week to benefit the USA Shooting Team.  This fine rifle was manufactured in January 1992 and has been residing in Ruger's safe for all these years.  Go Place Your Bid to win this exceptional hunting rifle, and keep your fingers crossed.  It will sell mid-day, Wednesday, April 6, 2016.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the USA Shooting Team.  $2450, Now go, keel moose and squirrel!

Tuesday Torque: Early Tractors

Tractors have been evolving since they were first built, and some of the early ones are bizarre by modern standards. IHC built one cylinder hit-and-miss tractors a bit more than a century ago, and they really were just a self-propelled stationary engine for belt work around the farm. It is hard to believe that they built tractors with hit-and-miss engines, but they sure did.The big twin cylider Mogul tractors were made for both traction and belt work, and that engine makes a lovely sound. IHC built their first lightweight tractors in 1912 with automobile type steering and lighter, faster turning engines.

a
Video by RumelyTractor.

April Mr. Completely e-Postal: April Showers

Mrs. True Blue Sam has come up with a real winner for the April contest.  It's simple, and just challenging enough that everyone will want to participate.   Twenty five feet is recommended, but shoot whatever distance you are able to shoot at your range, or whatever distance makes you confident.  Each hit on a raindrop is one point, and holes in the umbrella are -1 point.  Fire ten shots with whatever position you like.

Send scans or photos of your targets to truebluetravelinman (at) gmail (dot) com by May 4.  Use the name you want to see on this blog when scores are posted.  Write your name, firearm, and sights in the umbrella.  Click the picture or HERE to get the link for the pdf target.  Send in your scans for the March target.  We are assembling scores and will post them in a couple of days.

John Prine: A Legend In His Time...

...and a national treasure.  This interview is from 2015.

Whole Lotta Grinding Going On!

Widespread winds over much of the country have damaged or taken down trees all over the map. Out in the country we don't worry about stumps. We can let them rot down, or burn them out, or just ignore them. City dewllers don't have that luxury and must take stumps out before the neighbors complain.

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Scott Joplin, The Magnetic Rag

My head was stuck in the 1920's musically, until 1971 when I heard Scott Joplins rags played the way they were meant to be played.  That moved my musical brain back more than a decade.  Joshua Rifkin published his recordings of Joplin's music on Nonesuch records, and they have been unavailable on YouTube until recently.  The albums are available on CD, and probably MP3, too, and I have had the CD's for many years.  The only problem with the CD is that one of the songs had one note noticeably distorted during remastering.  I know it's coming every time and it bugs the heck out of me.

You never know what you are going to find on YouTube, and this player piano recording was made by none other than Scott Joplin himself in 1916 of the Magnetic Rag.  It is one of my favorites, and a very dramatic piece of music.




Not all of Joshua Rifkin's recordings are on YouTube, but you should listen to the ones that are published there, and then go purchase a copy to support the artist.  I have been listening to him for fortyfive years and I am not tired of him yet.

Weekend Steam: Let's Go West, Way, Way West

Who knew?  A steam railroad in Japan!  I figured that went away very quickly in the post-war years, but at least one engine has survived.  Click the YouTube logo in the lower right of the vid to read all about it.