Never Going Back To Work

                                     We've been surrounded by it! Back To The Old Grind!

Weekend Steam 2: Maine Two-Footers!

Merle's pick is a good one.  Thank You, Merle!


Click this over to YouTube to read the description.  Number 7 was freshly restored in 2018.

Weekend Steam: Threshing At Pinckneyville

We shot this video a few years ago. This Advance steam engine was pulling a thresher with a Garden City feeder, so it can be fed from two bundle wagons.  The belt was set up a bit loose, it slipped, and the thresher choked up.  Panels were pulled off the thresher to clear it, and it blew chunks when they started up again.

Pinckneyville Weekend

This video was shot in 2015 and is a good example of the sort of things you get to see at a big engine show.  The show goes on all weekend at the fairgrounds on the west side of Pinckneyville.

EAB; We Got 'em!

The Emerald Ash Borer arrived in Southern Illinois several years ago and we are experiencing the die-off that other areas north and east of us  have had.  This year it is really going!  I see dead ash trees wherever I drive and we have trees dying in our yard and woods.  The tree in this picture is one I planted about thirty years ago, and the bucket has been kicked out from under it.  Oh Well, or words to that effect. We will have nice firewood during the upcoming winter.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The USA Shooting Team

Ruger is offering an M77 Rifle in .300 WSM this week, and it is special!  It has extra nice wood in the stock, was built in December 2005, and it is a New Old Stock rifle, in its original packaging. The price is not bad as I post this, and it is a good one to drop a bid on.  CLICK HERE to read the full description and to place that winning bid. This rifle will sell mid-day, Wednesday, August 14, 2019.  $750; Someone got a great bargain!

Tuesday Torque: Support Your Local Engine Shows!

 There probably is an engine show within easy driving distance for you nearly every weekend through the summer and fall.  Pinckneyville, Illinois is having their annual summer show beginning Thursday of this week.  Engine shows change every year because exhibitors bring different parts of their collections.  This Massey at Pinckneyville in 2018 is a work of art.

Model #2!

Operator platform.

Maintenance reminder!

Transverse engine...

 ...built by Buda.

CLICK HERE to go to the Farm Collector Show Directory.  There is plenty of good, family oriented entertainment out there if you look for it.

Sharpen That Shovel!

I am a cheater, and I do not go to the pains of perfectionists like Wranglerstar.  I look for shiny spots on the edge and knock them out with an angle grinder. Annual applications of of linseed oil keep the wood in good shape and I hardly ever need to change a handle.  This is a great shovel that Wrangler is fixing.  Firefighing shovels have more angle so you can grab a little dirt and give it a fling. You can also scratch fire line through pine needles and leaves.  I mostly used Council rakes, which are great for raking leaves and cutting brush.  You have to keep them sharp, too.  Back To The Old Grind!

Love Island It Ain't!

We saw a few minutes of what they call a reality show the other night.  The premise of the show was young adults hooking up, and somebody "winning" through votes from viewers.  Susan and I decided we have our own reality show.  We call it "Get Up And Go To Work!"  This week's episode was a thrilling exercise we call "Find The Pipe," where we are searching for perimeter and downspout drains that have become plugged over the years.  It is much better than Find The Pipe, 2018, where we were replacing sewer lines.  We won last year, and it looks like we will win again in a few days.  The yard looks like rabid gophers have been digging, but that will be remedied with the next game, "Rejuvenate The Lawn."

Weekend Steam: Lombard Log Hauler!

Off to the North Woods to see how they pulled out white and red pine logs to build a nation.  You must have nerves of steel to steer this beast with a train of logs behind you and point it downhill.  Thank You, Merle!