Not My Victrola: Before The Blues

Before the Blues came along we still had plenty of sad songs meant to jerk a tear.  After The Ball is one of the best known sad songs, and it has a great tune that isn't even sad if you don't know the story line.

Performed by William Bolcolm and Joan Morris.
By Katy Lou Wurlitzer 153 Band Organ.

Weekend Steam; Old Time Steam Powered Shop

By David Richards

I See...

...Dead cars.  This truck is really most sincerely dead, and I remember trucks like this with good paint, good rubber, and an old farmer driving them. I say old, but the guys I saw driving trucks of this vintage were younger than I am now.  They were just old to me back when.

What is this Buick; about 1963?  I remember these when they were new, sometime during the Mercury space program years.  We were shooting astronauts into space and we still didn't have seatbelts in our cars.  Everybody wanted to be "thrown clear". Good Old Days! Nice chrome, though.

Free Cats

Four years ago my Brother-In-Law brought free cats to us from St. Louis.  He had trapped these feral cats, had them fixed and vaccinated, and dropped them on us.  I took stock recently and it hasn't turned out as good as we would wish, but these feral city cats have had a good life, and some of them are still with us.

We could keep them penned up only until hot weather arrived, but they all hung around for the free food when we turned them loose.  We could not touch most of them.  Only one of them, Shorty, remained wild.

Pansy and Woody, the tuxedo cats met bad ends.  Pansy was picked off by coyotes and Woody swallowed something that perforated his esophagus.  Our vet had to put him down.  Mean Jean and Brownie, the two black cats in this picture are still with us and are enjoying life in the country.

Cancer took Big 'un.  The vet tried, but we didn't know how bad it was, and this sweet little cat had to be put down a month after surgery.  Shorty was a big black long-haired cat that would not be tamed.  He would come up for food, but he roamed the countryside and the neighbors saw him frequently.  He stayed in the barn rather than the garage, and he would come when I called.  He just wouldn't let me get close enough to touch.  Well, Shorty was hurt; possibly in a fight with a coon, possum, or a bad Tom cat.  Last week his face was swollen up, an eye was infected, and he was lethargic.  I still couldn't get close enough to catch him.  I did what I had to do so he wouldn't suffer a slow painful death.

On the bright side, Mean Jean, Brownie, and Mama Cat are all living the good life.  Had they remained in St. Louis as feral cats they would have lived a hard, short life, probably with a painful, lonely end. Cats end up costing you the same whether they are free, or you buy them, and they steal a bit of your heart along the way.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The USA Shooting Team

OK, you charcoal burners, here's your chance for a great percussion revolver.  Ruger hasn't made these since 2008, so go take a look at this one.  It's a Ruger Old Army built in 1975.  It is marked "used", but was never sold.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the USA Shooting Team.  This fine revolver will sell mid-day, Wednesday, April 13, 2016.  CLICK HERE, or on the picture to go to Ruger's Gunbroker page to read all about it and to place the winning bid.  $855

Midwest Schipperke Rescue

 We hooked up with Midwest Schipperke rescue back in December, and that is how Junior came to our doorstep.  He was a good match for us, with good country-dog smarts, and we adopted him.  Midwest called on Saturday and asked if we could head north to Vandalia to pick up two female Schips that had just been surrendered to a shelter because their owner had to go to a nursing home.
These little girls are Barbie and Missy.  They are good looking Shipperkes with the stocky legs and body shape that the breed is known for.  Barbie is seven, and Missy appears to be about ten years old.  They have been cleaned up and brushed and are settling into life in the library, away from the other dogs.  They made a trip to our vet today for some immediate needs, and will be available for adoption through Midwest Schipperke Rescue after dental work is taken care of.  They are already responding to us and walking fairly well on leash.  They do their business when we take them out in the yard, and they make fine lap warmers.

This rescue business is hard work!

Tuesday Torque: V12 Rolls Royce Merlin!

Here's an engine nut in hog heaven.  Can you beat this with an engine in your collection?

Inspirational Grinding!

Back To The Old Grind!

March Mr. Completely e-Postal Scores

Besides being fun, and good practice, one reason we like to do the monthly e-Postal contest is because it is good therapy for Pattie.  Her stroke in 2012 gave her what the doctors call "left deficit."  She doesn't see or perceive things to her left, and fighting that is part of the rehabilitation process.  We have found that when shooting plates she does better if she goes from left to right, and the back and forth movement of this target was a challenge for her.  You can see the effect of the left deficit in the two targets above.  It is eerie the way many of the shots line up vertically between the left and center circles.  She settled down after a few warmup targets and we talked her through the one where she shot 9/10.  Pattie shot all of these off her rest that she uses for rifle shooting, and I think that is OK for someone over 90.

Billll of Billll's Idle Mind, Susan, Pattie, and Merle all entered, and we had a new participant.  Kevin showed us how to shoot a 10/22 at 25 yards.  A big Thank You to all who entered.

Class 1; Air Pistol, Iron Sights/Non-magnified red dot	Firearm	Distance	Score
Kevin Ellis	Crosman 1377	25 ft	8/10
Class 2; Air Pistol, Magnified optical sights	Firearm	Distance	Score
No Entries
Class 3; Rimfire Pistol, Iron Sights\ non-magnified red dot	Firearm	Distance	Score
David aka TBS	Ruger Mk III Billll’s Ghost Ring Sight	25 ft	10/10
Billll	Ruger Mk I Iron	25 ft	9/10
Pattie Ann	Ruger 22/45 Lite/ Bushnell	25 ft	9/10
Merle	Ruger Super Single Six 22Mag	25 ft	8/10
Merle	Ruger Mk II 6 7/8” Red Dot	25 ft	8/10
Susan aka Mrs TrueBlueSam	Ruger Mk III/ Bushnell	25 ft	8/10
Class 4; Rimfire Pistol, Magnified optical sights
Merle	TC Contender .22 LR  2x	25 ft	6/10
Class 5; Centerfire Pistol, Iron Sights/Non magnified red dot	Firearm	Distance	Score
Billll	Glock 22 .40 S&W	25 ft	8/10
Class 6: Centerfire pistol, Magnified optical sights
Merle	TC Contender 9mm 2x	25 ft	7/10
Class 7; Rimfire Rifle, Iron Sights/Non-magnified red dot	Firearm	Distance	Score
No entries
Class 8; Rimfire Rifle, Magnified optical sights (25 yds)	Firearm	Distance	Score
Kevin Ellis	Ruger 10/22 UTG 4 x 16	25 yds	10/10

Good Shooting, Kevin!  That 10/22 will do well on the April target!

Weekend Steam: British Fireman Training Film