We went looking for morel mushrooms Saturday, and it was slow at first, but we found a recently-deceased elm tree with the tasty treats growing above the dead roots, and we felt like we were in Hog-Heaven.
This is our haul; we had some with supper, and we are eating the remainder with Sunday breakfast.
If you have morels in you woods you have to find them before the deer, turkeys, and squirrels eat them. This cute gray squirrel was hunting alongside Mrs. TBS for quite a while, and I followed him around taking pictures. I was only five or six feet away from him when I took this shot.
Case steam traction engines climbing a steep incline were a popular attraction at rural fairs in the early Twentieth Century. It was a pretty gutsy demonstration, and I don't know of any other manufacturers who showcased their engines doing this. If the single cylinder engine stopped on the way up, it would have to back down. The backing down after the engine reaches the top give me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. These engines do not have brakes, and the steering is a rudimentary system of chains pivoting the front axle. The first video is courtesy of Jrcaseman, and the second one is from hartparr, both fellow YouTubers.
We had a fan of the Benson Orchestra leave a nice comment on YouTube, so this Friday we are playing the flip side of last week's record. 'My Little Bimbo' is a One-Step, and I have no idea how you dance to this. It sounds like good music to go with the old 'Fractured Flickers' show hosted by Hans Conried many years ago. Have a great weekend!
Joe Glenn demonstrates the power and danger of a kickback from your chainsaw in this short video. Note that Joe directs the kickback horizontally so he is not in danger of being hit during the demonstration. He performs this by using only the tip of the saw; engaging more of the kickback corner would propel the saw out of his grip. A major kickback that launches toward your head and shoulders can be deadly, so you have to pay attention to the tip of your bar at all times when you are cutting. Joe is wearing all of the personal protective gear recommended for chainsaw operators, he locks the saw between his knees when he starts, and he wraps his thumb around the bar in order to have a firm grip on the saw. A chainsaw will blast right out of your hand during a kickback if you don't have that thumb in the right place.
Everybody I talk to is eaten up with turkey hunting this time of year. Southern Illinois has an abundance of these birds, which are so common now that I don't get too excited by them, except when one launches at my feet when I am looking up in the trees. A covey of quail always gives me a thrill, but a turkey taking off in my face just about causes a heart attack. When we want a dead bird we go to Kroger.
This spring has had narrow windows of opportunity for prescribed burning, with the frequent precipitation events interrupting plans regularly. I did get a chance last week to participate on a burn, and it was a good one. The wind shifted near the end, and the ladies with the drip torches had to string fire fast to prevent the fire from making a getaway. This grass had been flattened by an ice storm, so the flames aren't terribly dramatic, but they were hot enough. It started raining as we were loading up our equipment after we finished.
Here is Sophie Tucker performing her signature song, "Some Of These Days" on an Edison four minute cylinder in 1911. This fascinating look at Sophie's early career is courtesy of Barndog44, on YouTube.
And, as a bonus, here is the Red Hot Mama performing on a 1927 unreleased OKEH record, uploaded to YouTube by bsgs98. I hope all of you have had a great weekend.
Chainsaw instructor Joe Glenn is shown here building a hinge in a storm damaged elm tree, then releasing it and escaping. After it is safely on the ground he makes a practice post out of the stump for his students to use in learning how to perform a bore cut. Lots of loggers resist using this method, but they are clinging to methods devised when the axe and crosscut saw were the only tools available. Modern saws increase our options for methods in cutting and bucking trees, improving production and safety for those willing to learn. Remember to always start your bore cut with the lower corner of the bar.
I saw over on Hobie's blog that he had snow this week; the Grouchy Old Cripple had snow in Atlanta on the 7th, and the same day I had ice pellets falling on me while I worked. On April 7, 1949, my Mother had two inches of snow on her first garden as a newlywed. Since winter can't seem to quit, I picked the spicey 'Chili Bean' out of the record cabinet to warm us up. It is a quick Fox-Trot, and should be a good one to try out your Charleston moves.
Firearms; Col. Jeff Cooper's Rules 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. 4. Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.
Knives 1. Never cut toward yourself. 2. Always cut away from yourself. 3. Never cut yourself.
AND If you drop a knife or gun, let it fall!
Chainsaws
1. Always wear your safety gear when running your saw: hard hat, eye, face, hearing protection, cut resistant protection for your legs, heavy boots, gloves (depending on work conditions).
2. Safety devices on the saw must be in working order: front hand guard,chain brake, chain catcher, throttle lockout, and right hand guard.
3. Hold the saw on the ground or lock it between your knees for starting. No 'Drop Starts.' Set the chain brake before cranking.
4. The engine must idle reliably without turning the chain.
5. The chain must be sharpened properly, including properly set depth gauges.
6. The chain must be adjusted to remove slack and still run freely.
7. The operator must understand the forces on different parts of the bar as the saw runs: push, pull, kickback and attack.
8. Both hands must always be on the saw when the chain is running. The thumbs must be wrapped around the handles. Both feet should be firmly planted on the ground.
9. The operator must always know where the end of the bar is, and what it's doing.
10. Don't let the upper (kickback) corner of the bar contact anything when the chain is running unless the tip has been buried with the lower corner.
11. Let off of the throttle before pulling out of a pinch on the top part of the bar.
12. Make a plan for every tree you cut. Assess hazards, lean, escape routes, forward cuts, and back cuts. Evaluate the forward or backward lean, and the side lean of every tree you cut. Know your limits.
13. Clear your work area and your escape path of brush, vines, and other hazards that can trip you or catch your saw.
14. Escape from the bullseye when the tree tips. 90% of accidents happen within 12 feet of the stump. Go more than 15 feet, and stay out of the bullseye until things stop falling.
15. Keep spectators away more than twice the height of the tree in the direction it will fall.
16. Don't cut alone.
17. Keep your body and the swamper's out of the line of the bar in case of a kickback.
18. Set the brake when taking over two steps or when moving through tripping hazards. Keep your trigger finger off of the throttle when you are moving.
19. DO NOT operate a chainsaw from a ladder! Operating with your feet off the ground requires special training.
20. Do not cut above your shoulders.
21. Springpoles must be shaved on the inside of the apex between the ascending and descending sides. If the apex is higher than you shoulders, stand under the springpole and cut it low on the descending side. It will release upward, away from you.Leaning and heavily loaded poles that are too small to bore cut for a hinge should be shaved on the compressed side until they fold.
22. Do not cut a tree that is holding up a lodged tree. Do not work under a lodged tree. Think about a mouse trying to steal the cheese out of a trap.
23. Instruct your swampers and helpers to NEVER approach you from behind or the sides to within the reach of your saw when you are cutting. If you pull out of a cut with the chain running, or have a severe kickback, the swamper can be killed if he is coming up behind you!
24!! Quit When You Are Tired!
25!! Pause and review; reflect, when you are being pushed. You may be pushed into danger. Do not let pressure cause you to ignore safety rules!
Cutting dead and rotten trees is extremely risky, and your safety always comes down to basics and following the rules. Build a good hinge, even if there is just a thin shell to work with. Support the back side of the hinge with wedges if the tree is punky or hollow before you cut out the back. Don't fight side lean or back lean when cutting unsound trees. Release it quickly and get away from the stump. Tell your co-workers what your steps are before you crank your saw. You will live long.
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We went looking for morel mushrooms Saturday, and it was slow at first, but we found a recently-deceased elm tree with the tasty treats growing above the dead roots, and we felt like we were in Hog-Heaven.
This is our haul; we had some with supper, and we are eating the remainder with Sunday breakfast.
If you have morels in you woods you have to find them before the deer, turkeys, and squirrels eat them. This cute gray squirrel was hunting alongside Mrs. TBS for quite a while, and I followed him around taking pictures. I was only five or six feet away from him when I took this shot.
