More Garden News

 The potatoes were done. The wet July weather caused a few to rot, but the damage was minimal. We will be moving them down to the basement shortly.

Sixteen Pints!

Susan canned two batches, for a total of 16. 

 

Tuesday Torque: Oil City Allis WC!

 This is just neat as heck. It is an Oil City powerhouse two-stroke engine installed on an extended frame of an old Allis Chalmers WC tractor. (A bit of a guess on the WC model.) The engine is belted to the belt pulley on the Allis, and that provides power through the transmission. Many thanks to Merle for spotting this one!

Coming Up From The Basement Monday!

 

Susan will be canning our kraut Monday afternoon! Back To The Old Grind!

Abandoned Locos....

 ....courtesy of Merle! This would be worth the trip!

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Don't Disturb The Roots!

 Going way back for this one! One of the earliest things I remember from forestry classes is that trees do not like having their root systems disturbed. Add or remove an inch or two of soil from around an oak, and it will croak. Sometimes it takes a few years. Sometimes it happens quickly. Many have called me to select trees to keep or remove around a building site, and I would tell people to not build in the woods. Build in the open and then plant the trees you want. Some listen, the rest pay big money for tree removals over the next decade.

Here is a newly killed swamp chestnut oak at our county courthouse. It was planted about five years ago. A new parking area is under construction, and the contractors scalped a couple inches of soil from around this tree. The other trees from this planting project were unmolested, and are still thriving. 

Weekend Steam: Boonville, IN Summer Show, This Weekend!

 The show ground is just north of Boonville, Indiana. Lots of shade available. Hit the road!

Tinian, The Forgotten Invasion, From The History Guy

 

Susan's father, O.T. Bentrup, was fighting on Guam at the time. O.T.'s brother Lloyd Bentrup, serving on the U.S.S. Colorado, was mortally wounded and evacuated to Saipan, where he passed a week later.

Where Do The Years Go?

 

Dad has been gone twenty years today. It doesn't seem like that long. Little Isaac, enjoying a train ride with Dwain turned five that day.

Patti passed away seven years ago today. It still seems like we should be visiting with her every day.

Participation Trophy Winner!

 Carmi Rifle Club and the White County Farm Bureau host a steel shoot every July. We recently had our fifteenth annual event. Young, old, fast or slow, all are welcome to compete, and each competitor has a chance of winning a pistol that is made available through a local firearm emporium. A winning score is nice, but that is mostly just for bragging rights. This year, I was the lucky winner, and now have a new Mk IV Ruger Competition pistol. I ran it for the first time yesterday and have it pretty well sighted in. The trigger pull from the factory is a crisp 3 3/4 pounds. That's nice in a new factory pistol. It will probably break in to around 3 pounds. Anyway, here is some of the action, and a photo of the new hardware. 

Tuesday Torque: Oil Creek And Titusville Railroad

We are visiting Merle's home state today, to ride the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad! Many thanks for the suggestion, Merle! I like the old Diesel switcher engines. They used to be a common sight on branch lines and small independent railroads. 

 

Susan Is Busy!

Back To The Old Grind! Tomatoes Tomorrow!