Pictures of Miscellaneous Stuff & Things

[Quick Steel]

I think you may have captured a shot of the elusive shadow people, described with scientific precsion on the Art Bell show.

[jmh58]

I think you may have captured a shot of the elusive shadow people, described with scientific precsion on the Art Bell show.

[jmh58]

DSC06139.JPG

See.. All them knives in my pockets really don't make ya shrink!!!
John

Thank You Steve..
John

[LongBlade]

Stuart engine made from a kit from England. carry case not shown.

Very cool Stuart engines mrwatch !! Before I broke my ankle last September I had a part time job at a local museum and antique shop - I gave the museum tours and one whole building of the museum was dedicated to the steam engines which ran the old factories here in CT in 1800s/early 1900s and that included the old knife factories ... I learned how to run these engines for tours - you can see the belts were setup to run a few pieces of equipment including the old drop hammer in one photo. One photo also shows a few of the models we had for demo - the far side of the models is a true small steam engine with the orange highlighted fly wheel that was used and still works to spin thread or yarn onto spools... given the models I actually thought about a Stuart engine and understand they are the best in terms of models... these steam engines of the museum were converted to work on compressed air and not steam - believe there was 300 lbs in the main pipe that supplied all the engines... the biggest steam engine there which is the one with the green fly wheel was 15 tons (weight of fly wheel itself)... there was 4 or 5 working engines with different designs pending the application to supply power...

This job was all for fun and was actually quite enjoyable - I’m retired and wanted something just part time and no stress ... anyway once my ankle is strong enough I’m hoping to go back to this job as the owner said I’m welcome back when ready!!!

[jmh58]

That is Way Kool Lee!! And enjoyable I bet also!!
John

[LongBlade]

Thanks John ... all good fun for sure... and also gave me a chance to see what new antiques including knives were coming through the door... though in my time there before my injury I had yet to find a knife of my liking... it was a huge antique shop with a huge variety of items ... it was fun meeting all kinds of folks coming to visit from all over the country!!

I should have noted that the real steam engines were more complicated to run than just flicking a switch... I needed to make sure each oil valve was open, oil cylinders filled and the hardest part was making sure the fly wheel was aligned properly for the gearing ... if the fly wheel needed to be turned for alignment it wasn’t easy - you needed to practically hang on the wheel to make it turn .. or I would get some of the younger “bucks” who worked there to give me a hand ...

[peanut740]

Lee,I hope you get back to work soon.That is cool.

[steve99f]

Lee
What a great gig that would be! Envy is showing its ugly little head here I think. Where is that museum in CT? Open to the public or by appointment?

[Doc B]

Lee, that is super cool! As asked above, where is that? Wish I'd known before my son just left. He is in the Navy and was down at Groton Naval Base (New London) CT...but just moved (and got) to Virginia, Monday. Would have loved to check that out.

[FRJ]

Great story and pictures, Lee.
I felt so sorry for you getting hurt like that and losing that opportunity made it even worse.
I know you enjoyed that gig and I hope you get it back. All the best!

[LongBlade]

Thanks all ... It was indeed pure fun... I also got to play with antiques to get things working that were never used yet - in fact I was in the midst of getting an old Ben Franklin Printing Printing Press working again in the Museum.... the other half of the museum in the other building was lots of areas setup with different themes - a complete 1800s Barbershop, Drug Store, Print shop and lots of related book binding equipment, early farm equipment including tractors, huskers, etc.. the first washing machines, 1800s Cobbler Shop, photography equipment from over the last 150 years etc .. just lots of cool old stuff imo..

Steve and Doc - its located not far from Waterford, CT (and Groton as well Doc8)... called The Past Antiques Marketplace and Gateway Museum in Montville CT...

(Forgot to note - Museum is open to the public for visiting Thursday through Sunday (admission fee) - I think winter hours may only be Saturday and Sunday... but antique shop is always open 7 days a week...)..

[zoogirl]

Lee, what an awesome place to work! Giving tours is a lot of fun, isn’t it? That’s something I miss. I had a hoot doing zoo tours.
Those engines are great! Where I work, we have some very old machinery. Word is, some of it is pre- WW2. Our coil pipe bender has been fitted with a transmission from a Model T! We also have presses for those horrible old Oxolite seats that we all knew and loathed in school.
There are a couple of places right around here that have similar setups.
Heritage Village in Burnaby (a Vancouver suburb) has an entire little town set to about 1920. There is one big steam engine that used to belong to the New Westminster Public Works. I think it was used in road building. Anyway, it’s self propelling. I can remember seeing and hearing it clank it’s way up Sixth Street on its way from the works yard to the Village. It’s about a 1910 model.
There’s also a fair number of buildings, mostly rescued and moved there. The Billage has a Chinese apothecary, a telephone exchange, movie theatre, bank, school, church, hardwear store, car repair, ice cream parlour, ladies clothing and several more, including homes. There is also a very old, working carousel.
The other place is Irving House in New Westminster. It’s an 1865 house, the oldest in the area. It’s been set up as a family home from the Victorian era with many items having belonged to the original family. Out back is a museum with items like the first home made tv in the area and a full sized fire engine. I love it!
I sure would like to see your place. If I ever get over that way...

[mrwatch]

I like museums. Their is an oil field museum near my in laws place, only found it open once. some may be a repeat here. I've had many nice comments at tractor shows.

[Eustace]

[Unk]

This old JI Case threshing machine is sitting out on our deer lease. I was wondering how old it is? I am guessing around 1910-1920.

Does anybody have a better guesstimate? Was just curious.

[OLDE CUTLER]

I got a photo of this sharp shinned hawk in the tree across the street from my house this afternoon. I have seen sharp shinned hawks in this neighborhood before, right in the middle of Sioux Falls, making kills at or near our bird feeder. They are about 12-14 inches tail to beak, dark gray back, light gray front, yellow feet. In the past I have seen them kill sparrows, mourning doves, and a pigeon right on our front lawn. Sometimes I will find a pile of feathers on the front lawn, when I have not seen them, but you know the sharp shinned hawk has been there and killed. Today I heard their call for the first time as it was sitting in the tree, a loud "Keeeeeerrrrr" sound.

[jmh58]

Real nice Sharpie pic OC!!! One of my favorite hawks!!!
John

[philco]

OC one of those hawks launched an attack at my bird feeder just this morning. It's right outside my office window. I heard a loud BANG as a bird slammed into the window sending a big puff of feathers into the air. As I spun around to see what was happening, the hawk flashed past the window. I don't know if he caught anything or not, but there's a dead bird laying beneath my window now. Apparently the collision with the window was fatal.

[OLDE CUTLER]

Real nice Sharpie pic OC!!! One of my favorite hawks!!!
John

I have seen them kill right in front of our house. It came out of the sky like a speeding bullet and hit a pigeon just as it attempted to take off and escape. The hawks talons did their work and the pigeon was dead, plucked of its feathers and the breast meat eaten by the hawk. The hawk left the carcass on the lawn and came back the next day and picked up what was left and flew away with it. Pictures taken with a Canon XSi DSLR with a Sigma 70-300 zoom lens. While this one was in the tree, there was not a bird to be seen at the feeders.

[jmh58]

That had to be a sight to see!!! I had a Kill Deer mom chase a Sharpie right past me in my driveway 2 springs ago.. She was protecting her nest with 2 chicks in it.. They were on the ground and she had the Sharpie on the run.. Sharpie flew.. Chicks safe.. Was a sight to watch though..
John

[OLDE CUTLER]

That had to be a sight to see!!! I had a Kill Deer mom chase a Sharpie right past me in my driveway 2 springs ago.. She was protecting her nest with 2 chicks in it.. They were on the ground and she had the Sharpie on the run.. Sharpie flew.. Chicks safe.. Was a sight to watch though..
John

I always like watching the killdeer do their "I am injured and could be caught" display with one wing dragging on the ground to lure predators away from their nests. Very effective way to protect the young ones.

[Doc B]

Nice pics OC. Friday, I was shredding weeds, on the tractor, down at the ranch. A pretty good size red tail hawk was following me around. he would land in a tree and watch for a while; then, fly for a bit. His patience paid off, when he swooped down and got a small 8-10 inch snake. Love watching raptors!!!! Built a raptor house...but haven't had a taker yet

[jmh58]

Nice pics OC. Friday, I was shredding weeds, on the tractor, down at the ranch. A pretty good size red tail hawk was following me around. he would land in a tree and watch for a while; then, fly for a bit. His patience paid off, when he swooped down and got a small 8-10 inch snake. Love watching raptors!!!! Built a raptor house...but haven't had a taker yet
IMG_0799.jpg

Hey Doc.. In due time.. Ya gotta keep us posted if ya gets any takers.. Pics too..
John

[philco]

A recent sunrise from my farm

[big monk]

Hey Phil ____ Bet it was a cold night, after all that ""red sky"" ?? ___________least that's what __ ""They"" __ say

SPRING HAS SPRUNG ??? ____________not really but it's coming !!!!!! ______ from my back yard**