This past weekend was the annual National Thresher's Reunion in Wauseon. Last year it started pourin down rain shortly after I arrived. It didn't let up, so I didn't stay long. This year it was hot and very humid, but the rain held off while I was there.
The smell of burning firewood and coal is always in the air. The smoke hung around this year. I swear it was probably 10 degrees hotter on the infield than other places.
There is always a good size flea market behind the stands. You see all kinds of characters. I'm wonderin if this guy traded the kid for the flowers . . . or what ? ? ? I looked twice and I didn't see any little kid amongst the flowers.
There are large displays of older farm tractors, implements, old trucks, and garden sized tools.
When I saw this, I was thinkin that if I had a sizeable garden, I would want something like this. It turns in the middle just like the big ones.
A few feet down the display, I spotted this. A garden size Massey-Ferguson and a 5 bottom plow. It says it is a diesel on the hood. That would be soooo cool plowin up my garden with this. There never was anyone around when I went past it, so I couldn't get any details. I have seen other tools these tractors could use in one's garden at other shows.
Each year a different brand is featured. This year it was Case.
Steam tractors come in all sizes. The rear wheels of this one is at least 7 feet.
A couple smaller ones. There were several the size of the Massey Ferguson pictured above. That would be kind of neat workin your garden with one of those.
They all have whistles . . . sometimes more than one.
This internal combustion tractor was manufactured in 1924 and the restoration was finished in June of this year. Probably it's first show. Don't know if it runs on kerosene, diesel or gasoline.
Always lots of antique farm equipment at this show. I favor the red ones for some reason.
It is not often that I see old combines and corn pickers. I can remember farmers using one and two row pickers. Can you imagine using a one or two row picker to harvest 100 acres of corn.
Anything with tracks gets my attention. There were a couple small tractors with tracks.
This one was a two cylinder "Johnny Putt Putt."
Spent some time in Ann Arbor MI today. My MINI had another recall and this is the closest dealer. Last time I took it to Columbus because the Ann Arbor dealership wasn't on the company web page. This dealership opened last June. Took about 2 hours, probably a bit less if I was sure how to get there. My appt. was for 8:30 so that meant I had to get up earlier than I'm used to. Then I was drivin in the dark, watchin for deer. That wasn't fun. Comin home I saw three hunters, each with a deer. I knew there were a lot of them out there.
Yesterday, I went over to one of my cousin's for dinner. Going there (in the daylight), I saw eight. Three of them ran across the road about an eighth mile ahead of me. A couple more miles down the road, I spotted a group of five lookin for something to eat in a corn field. While there, I mentioned to my cousin's husband that I had an early appt. in Ann Arbor. He is very serious about OSU. . . the game is tomorrow. He was very, very serious when he told me to watch my back. I knew the game was Saturday when they offered me today's date. I took it cause the weather was forecast to be good, and I wanted to get it fixed ASAP.
The recall notice was to check the timing chain tensioner. If the tensioner needed replaced, it would be a two hour fix. If the timing chain was worn and need replaced, it would be a five to six hour fix. I packed lunch, took my laptop and some reading material and told myself it would be the long fix.
Keeping in mind what my cousin told me, I wore blue jeans and a blue shirt. My coat is black and gray. I was hopin no one would notice the gray. I sat facing the door, against the wall and as close to the door as possible. Do you know how difficult it is to read anything or play solitare watching for something to happen while tryin to blend in?? It is difficult! While I was playin solitare, a salesman came in wearing a Michigan hoodie. I didn't notice him till he was at his desk. A lapse in attention can get people like me . . . well I don't even want to think about it. I think he spendin some time playin solitare on his computer too. I noticed he was lookin me over every so often. I don't think he noticed I was keepin an eye on him too. He was sort of intimidatin lookin . . . shaved head and it looked like he had spent some time in the weight room somewhere. He finally got to go somewhere. That guy might have come up to my shoulders! After that I relaxed a bit, but I've watched enough war and spy movies to know that ya can't relax too much . . .
After a couple hours, the service manager told me it was the two hour fix, the timing chain was fine. Another recall had come through and they took care of that, a turbo heat shield replacement. That saved me a trip. I thought MINI Coopers were a well engineered and built car. I've had it four of its six years and that make three recalls. My Ranger is six yrs old and has no recalls.
Anyways, I was able to leave a bit after 10:30 AM. I get to the end of their drive and I have very little braking power. I back up and tell them. It seems that the mechanic forgot a vacuum. I wondered all the way home if that was a friendly way of tellin me that they knew. I will probably never know for sure. I'm a BGSU grad anyway, for cripes sakes . . . .
Gasoline dropped again since yesterday!!!! That is exciting !! You may be thinking, that guy needs to get out more and he probably does, but . . . This time it was eleven cents. Gas was 3.36 back on the 24th when they fixed the Circle K sign. A week or so ago, I tried to compliment the manager on getting the sign fixed. My thinkin was it broke and they couldn't drop the price instead of raising it all the time. She asked me if I wanted to hear the story behind the sign. I could tell that I wasn't gonna have a choice, so I said 'sure' and she continued on. She said the top of the sign (Circle K part) has never worked right since Circle K bought out Sterling, the previous owners. She said she has told her boss about it and nothing has happened till now. I have never noticed the top of the sign bein dark, probably cause I rarely go by there after dark. So much for my theory of what goes up can't come down because the sign is broke.
I was restless again yesterday and decided to head out to Ft. Wayne to a camera shop that a friend told me about. Been kinda wantin a macro lens or a set of extension tubes for my new Nikon so I can take super close-ups of stuff. I found the shop's address on the 'net and decided to do a Mapquest to get an idea where it is located. It said to take the southern route into Ft. Wayne. It was not an easy trip.
First detour was less than a mile from home. This is a waterline replacement happening. Bryan replaces a set amount of waterlines each year. They are on a one hundred year schedule. That means every hundred years, all the water lines will have been replaced. I wonder if the plastic lines they use now will have the problems that the cast iron ones have.
So, I'm tryin to get out of Bryan. My gps voice does not the way I'm going and says so every chance it gets. I put up with till I get to the outskirts of Ft. Wayne and I'm beginning to realize that Mapquest isn't working. I should be going toward downtown and I'm not. So I try to apologize to my gps voice and follow her directions. Apologies did me no good. She took me through very nice residential areas for almost a half hour before we got to downtown. Finally got to the shop, purchased set of extension tubes and a nice camera bag to hold every thing and headed home. Since I know little about downtown Ft. Wayne, I contritely and apologetically asked my gps vioce to guide me home. After a couple circles, probably as warning not to use Mapquest again, I got out of Ft. Wayne and home.
I never would have guessed that the lady's voice in my gps was so sensitive.
It was a very pleasant, bright day. I felt like doing something, but I didn't know what . . . And whatever I tried, I wanted to be doing something else. I think they call it 'bein in a restless mood.'
So I picked up my camera and got into the MINI and headed west. I was still in that restless mood, cause I didn't get anywhere near where I thought I wanted to go. When I passed the state line, looking for that old OH/IN cement post seemed like a better idea. There is a photo of it at my dentist's office. I've always wanted a photo like it. I turned south to the Defiance/Williams County line of the OH/MI border and started north.
It was an interesting trip to Michigan. There is a decent sized sand quarry just inside Defiance County. I should have taken a pic of the sand piles.
I was able to get some nice shots of some barns, some older than the others. Old barns are one of my favorite things to shoot.
There isn't a road that follows the border more than maybe 3 or 4 miles. I had to do a lot of zig-zagging. Lots of gravel roads in Indiana. I was in Indiana headed west when I shot this one.
I spotted a big flock of wild turkeys in this field next to a woods. I backed up to get a shot. About half of the were spooked an in the woods when I shot this through my dirty car window.
The bright sun on the changing leaves made for some colorful scenes. We are probably at the peak of the 'leaf season' right now.
They have road signs for the trains.
There were quite a few Amish farms along the border. These are a few of their cows. A bit further up the road, I was slowing down to shoot a photo of an Amish sawmill, when an Amish woman got up and started walking toward me. I knew they don't like having their pictures taken, so I continued on. I'm wondering why she wasn't in church. Some sects spend most of Sunday in church.
Got to the OH/MI border without seein that post. I was here a few years ago when I set out to find the most 'northwest' house in Ohio. That house would be so easy to give directions to.
I never did see that post. Next time I'm at the dentist, I ask if anyone knows about where that sign post is located. I only saw maybe 6 cars the whole time I was zigzagging. None of them appeared to be those dreaded little blue haired ladies. I'm thinkin I gave them the slip . . .
It has been a very dark, dreary, windy, winter-like day. I decided to head out to Hillsdale MI to check out the weekly auction at the fairgrounds. Hillsdale is in the next county north of me.
For some reason, unknown to a lot the native 'Michiganders,' the tourist bureau convinced the appropriate powers to put 'Pure Michigan' on their signs. Supposed to promote tourism somehow. Hasn't done much for me . . . about the only time I go to Michigan is for a couple of annual community garage sales.
This is not an auction where one is going 'high end' stuff. It is more like garage sale left overs. Today was no different. There was a lot of good looking construction lumber. Lots of chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigeons, geese, goats and hay waiting to be auctioned.
They have a flea market goin on too. I found some next to new little kids books. After some hagglin, I bought six. They are a series on safety. I'm gonna give then to the preschool/daycare program at the local YMCA. I give them crayons and coloring books that I find at garage sales too. They like to see me comin up the sidewalk with a bag in my hands.
I spotted this motorized bike leaning against one of the buildings. Looks like someone found a kit and added it to their bike.
I wonder if they have better stuff during the warm season. The last time I went to this auction was in February or March.
Happiness is NOT topping off your tank with 3.19 gas, then driving to the next town to see this . . .
The annual Flat Rock Creek Festival was held last weekend at the Paulding County Fairgrounds. I had not been there for a couple years and decided to check it out last Saturday. It was a cool, partly cloudy and windy day. Not too hot or cold for September.
There were a fair amount of older tractors and some implements of display.
For some unknown reason, I've always been partial to Cockshutts. There were more Cockshutts on display than any other name.
There was even a Cockshutt combine. I don't think I've ever seen one before.
Blackhawks and Cockshutts were very similiar in appearance. It has been a while since I've read anything about the old tractor companies. I'm thinkin Cockshutt and Blackhawk bought out each other. If anyone knows for sure, leave a comment.
A Wards Twin Row.
Silver Kings were featured at this summer's show in Montpeliar this past summer. This was the only one I saw here.
An old Avery.
I can remember when Oliver went out of business. Can't recall off the top of my head who bought them out. I want to say White, but I'm sure someone will tell me. Not a popular tractor where I grew up, but I can remember a couple farmers having them.
Now, if you are a serious garden type farmer, you should have some tools like this!
There were a couple old bicycle displays. I've only seen them here and the Fulton County Fair. There was an ancient bicycle built for two that both riders could steer. Better be in agreement on where you are going before the both of you get on that bike.
Then there was the 'Big Monster.' It had a modern frame. Believe it or not, it has 34" dia. wheels, only one speed and coaster brakes. I don't think that would be an easy bike to ride.
Then there was this cement sow . . .
This thing is HUGE! The pic does not do it justice. I've seen cement hogs and pigs, but nothing like this beauty. Everyone was stopping to look and take pics.
There were a lot of craft and flea market booths to visit, also. I'm thinkin it was Wednesday before the festival that the manager of the local Circle K 'flagged' me down in the store. She knew that I go to a lot of garage sales. I even managed to check out her garage sale last summer. Anyway, she told me that her and her husband were remodeling their kitchen. She wanted an old wall mounted rotary phone. Didn't hafta work, it was for decorative purposes only. I told her that I've seen old phones at garage sales and auctions occasionally. I had never paid much attentions to them. She said rotary phones were getting $20+ on eBay and she was tryin the work of mouth method of getting one before going to eBay. I told her I would keep and eye out for one. Would you believe that I found one at the festival?? They guy was asking only $2.00 for it. What a deal! I delivered it to her Monday AM. That was one happy manager!
Oh, in case you were wondering, I gave it to her for the $2 that I paid.
Years ago, I used to crew for a couple of hot air balloon pilots. I was a crew chief for one pilot. Being a crew chief meant that I was in charge of everything on the ground. A few days ago, I saw an ad about the Van Wert Hot Air Balloon Festival. So Saturday afternoon, I loaded myself up in the MINI Cooper and headed south. It is about an hour's drive.
I figgered it would be a great time to use my new camera, a Nikon D3200. I took my telescopic lens because I didn't think they would let "civilians" on the field. That was the trend back when I was crewing at festivals. At this festival, they were announcing that the public could mingle with the balloons, crew and pilots while they were setting up and launching. That meant I was gonna get some GREAT shots. It didn't take long to discover that I needed my wide angle lens for close-ups. I left it at home. Oh well, another lesson learned the hard way. There is always next year . . . at the festivals in Ashland, Marysville, Findlay and, of course, Van Wert.
Didn't get the type of shots I wanted, but here are a few of the ones I did get.
A wind shear hit the pink & balloon while the pilot was heating the envelope and he thinks he scorched a panel. He did not launch. A burned or scorched panel is greatly weakened and needs to be replaced. The pilot was not happy!!
I think there were 21 ballons. The weather was 'iffy' with rain cells to the east and west moving to the south. That caused the winds to be on the gusty side. Since it was the pilot's choice to fly, only about half the balloons inflated and flew. Two balloons inflated, but did not take off.
There were two shapes, Sugar Bear and the POW/MIA balloons. The letters and the barb wire on the POW balloon were raised. That was the first time I've seen that feature.
There was a neat story about the Sat. AM flight of the POW balloon. They were having a difficult time finding a suitable landing area and it was getting late in the morning. Winds tend to become inconsistent and the morning passes. They pilot finally saw a yard with power lines directly in his path. He told his crew chief that he was probably going to have to drag in the bean field to slow his landing speed. Those power lines were still directly ahead of him. The crew chief was to tell the landowner that he would be paid for damaged crops. As fate would have it, the farmer's son had just returned from deployment the previous week. It got pretty emotional while packing up.
