Weekend Steam: A Day At The Mill!

Steam engines doing work is why we have nice things.  I always enjoy seeing these old engines being used to do real work and not just play.

Brownwall Engine

This video is from seven years ago!  I was looking through old files and found some raw vid from 2011 at Boonville, Indiana.  I love the sound of the LeRoi engine next to this Brownwall engine!

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Here is a special one from Ruger's vault!  This is a 50th Anniversary Blackhawk (original smaller frame and grip) made in 2005, and it is not a catalog item.  This .357 revolver was made in 2005, then it was engraved and marked as a 50th Anniversary Blackhawk.  Collector interest does not seem to be excessive, but it has been viewed many times.  CLICK HERE to read all about it and to place your bid.  Click Here to look at more photos!  This extra-special Blackhawk will sell mid-day, Wednesday, August 8, 2018.  $801

Tuesday Torque: 60 HP Hart Parr at Pioneer Acres Museum, Irricana, Alberta

Merle's Pick this week is a fun one to watch.  These big Hart Parrs are scarce as hens' teeth, so you watch when you see one.

Don't Feel Pressured Monday Morning;

We are here to pump you up!


Back To The Old Grind!

Happy, Happy Birthday To Lisa Marie!

My little baby is five years old today!

The drive to Chickasha was worth every minute, every mile.  She goes with me every day to feed Big Jack and they have become best buds.  They chase each other around his dog yard and then have private little talks.

Weekend Steam: Restoration Of Sumpter Valley Locomotive

Merles' Pick this week is a good one!  We get to watch some of the gritty restoration process of a century-old locomotive.




Thank You for spotting, Merle!

Autumn, Autumn, Go Away, Come Again About October

We saw goldenrod blooming last week, and that's OK, but now the sumac is turning red already!  It's barely August!  That's jumping the gun!  Black walnut is already beginning to yellow and drop leaflets, and catalpa is visibly changing to a lighter shade of green.  I'm Not Ready!  I still have wood to split and I can't break away from the lawnmower.  August Lilies and Fall colors just seem incongruous to me, but I am always behind the curve.

Mini Ammo Can; Yay or Nay?

Right or wrong, I have been carrying extra ammo in old 35 mm film cans for decades.  They hold 6 .357s or 4 .44s or .45s, and the cartridges stay clean and dry.  When I carry I usually have a Ruger single action with me whether I am hunting, cutting wood, or cruising timber. I never have needed a reload, but I like to have it handy.  Forty years ago in Pike County, Kentucky, I had a timber rattler appear at my feet from under a rock.  The landowner was right next to me and my dog, Merky, was coming on the run because I had called him.  I missed the rattler's head with the first shot from my Blackhawk, but got it with the second.  Other times I have used .22 Magnum snakeshot on copperheads.  You can put several reloads of .22 Mag in one of these containers.

What brings this up is I got an "Are You Serious" and "Get A Speedloader" from a couple of commenters on Facebook recently.  I have been questioning myself ever since, but I don't see a problem.  This works for me, so is it a good idea, or not?

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Light Foundation

Ruger is offering a  pistol this week that could become your Old Dependable.  It is a P 85 with manual safety in 9mm, with ambidextrous magazine release and ambidextrous safety.  These pistols are solid, dependable guns, but they don't grab the interest of collectors, so this is a chance for you to get a high quality home defense gun that will really work well.  CLICK HERE to read the entire description and to place a winning bid.  This Ruger 9mm Manual Safety P 85 will sell mid-day, August 1, 2018.  Update: 11A Central, it is at $430.  $5 increments.  Less than 1/2 hour to go! Get Busy!  $430!  Someone got a bargain!