Double White Oak

This one is a bit wolfy, and is surrounded by nice, straight white oaks, so down she goes! The bar just barely reached through this one.

Happy Hornets?!

 These bald faced hornets were sure having a good time lapping up sap from a bur oak stump. They reacted if I moved up within about six feet, so I stayed back. Don't hack off a hornet! Usually when you see this many at once you have a problem. I am extremely glad that I saw them before I stumbled into their midst!

Tuesday Torque: Fairbanks Stack Talk

 There are many steam and gas shows every weekend now, and we hope to get over to Pinckneyville later this week. Look up what's available in your neighborhood and join in the fun. Many Thanks, Merle, for spotting the video!

Effervescing Elm!

 I was sure glad the little camera was in a pocket today. This is one of those weird things you run into sometimes. I dropped this elm and water started bubbling out of the stem. Very strange. It must have a wound above that let fungus in, and now it is fermenting sap. Pretty neat!

Don't Get All Pushy....

 ...until you have made a proper face, with a hinge of the right thickness. The hinge wood is too thick and this tree barberchaired when it was pushed. You might as well do an oil change while it's up. Back To The Old Grind!   (Copied off the Internet, brought to our attention by Eaton Rapids Joe! No attribution was with this photo.)

Weekend Steam II: Union Pacific 119 and Jupiter, At Promontory Point

 Merle sent a video of the 119, so I went looking for more. Susan and I were there many years ago while on a western trip, and these engines are the real deal. There are modern improvements for safety, durability, and operation, but they look like the 1860s. Many Thanks, Merle!

Weekend Steam: RGS 20 At The Colorado Railroad Museum

 Merle spotted the RGS 20, and engine new to me. You can see it in operation this weekend. Hit the road! Many Thanks, Merle!

Tend Your Deer Stands!

 This deer stand is now a permanent fixture!

See Bull Springs! (No bathing, no imbibation!)

Maybe you've never heard of Bull Springs, in picturesque rural Dahlgren Township, so here it is, so you can put it on your bucket list, just in case you decide to vacation in Hamilton County, Illinois. Maybe it's true, maybe it's bull-oney.

My Campaign Against Forked Trees!

We are working on Bull Springs again today, and the first thing I did was walk in along the northern rows, looking for some school marms I saw when I walked out last time. They are bigger than the single stem trees, but I was able to find space to put them down without hurting any other trees. Good Times!