See video at:
http://aeon.co/video/philosophy/the-power-of-outrospection-trading-introspection-for-empathy/
Month: June 2015
The Dancing Jack Sale
The last several days — and it isn’t really over yet — have been consumed by the huge yard/estate sale managed and operated by Ivi, Marina, Sandy and Lauren, with volunteer assists from some parents and friends. (Yours truly was on hard for some some input here and there, but mostly in the background, especially due to my accidental attempts to sever a thumb and finger — which has also impaired the ability to do much camera work or computer keyboarding.) Officially underway for only two days, people are still appearing to try to make the odd bargain purchase. Over 40 people were queued up, started an hour early, for the opening bell. The free ice water, iced tea and, especially, lemonade were consumed at prodigious rates. As luck would have it, Saturday’s temp hit 102 F. and today — still sorting the residual items for donation, craigslisting, ebay-ing, whatever — is forecast to hit 106.
Picking Up The Tractor Thread
My post of the other day, showing the Farmall H tractor from the Elgin car show, has inspired an email exchange with my brother. He furnishes this picture of another tractor we had, an Allis-Chalmers WD, somewhat advanced compared to the H. Dennis recalls that it was, however, slower than the H in “road gear”.
This dialog also inspired my memories of the contemptible F12 and F20 series of Farmalls. These were produced in the 30s and were quite primitive — the metal steering wheel and seat, combined with lack of good muffler and extreme engine heat, made them very uncomfortable. (And if the front wheels hit a rock or ditch, wrenching them at an angle, the spinning metal steering wheel could literally break your arm or wrist. You learned to never grip the wheel by the spokes, just the outer rim.) I recall having to stand and brace myself against the axle housing to gain the leverage to move the steering wheel a full turn. I believe these tractors were owned by my grandfather and my uncle, but I often drove them. The worst duty was to try to maintain a straight line down corn rows with the frame-mounted cultivator on the beast of a tractor. The ones I knew were blackened and covered with rust, but you can get an idea from this restored example.
And Dennis finds an example that is a bit more representative (although this one is pictured with a muffler!):
rDay Eighty-Nine
While walking downtown for a meeting at the old office …
rDay Eighty-Eight: Later That Day
Ah, we discover some photos from yesterday on the other camera …
rDay Eighty-Eight: Exit 270
Kim and Charlie invited me with them for a morning Father’s Day hike along Ladd Creek Canyon Road (or is it Ladd Canyon Creek Road?), accessible via Exit 270 from I-84. That road turns out to be the boundary line for a hunting area. Inside the hunting area, at least for the several hundred feet we walked into some of its trails, the grounds are littered with shotgun shell casings, plastic bits and all manner of trash, with even many trees showing “gunshot wounds”. On the other side of the road (where the creek flows), it is utterly pristine. You can guess where we concentrated our activities.
rDay Eighty-Seven: OTEC Ridge III
rDay Eighty-Seven: OTEC Ridge II
rDay Eighty-Seven: OTEC Ridge
As a Father’s Day (Eve) surprise and treat, the family accompanies Dad, schlepping photography gear and water, to OTEC — Oregon Trail Electric Company — Ridge, a recently discovered secret by Kim in her Charlie-walks. What we have dubbed OTEC Ridge rises high above Grandview Cemetery, itself arguably the best in-city vista point of view for the valley, and is accessible via an end-run around the perimeter fence above the mausoleum and a steep hike up an ATV gravel run to a tower. I estimate the hike to be two miles in duration, though other family members challenge that, suggesting instead perhaps half or three-quarter mile. We had never attempted to go beyond the boundary fence before, thinking it was private property. But property of a public utility seems fair game.
We hit the trail sometime between 6:00 and 6:30pm, returning about two or thereabouts hours later.
The announced plan was that we would make the evening hike to suss out the lighting conditions, then return early in the morning to also catch the alternate light of the sunrise. Stay tuned to see if that optimistic goal ever was realized.
rDay Eighty-Seven
Riverfest in Elgin (pop. 1,711) today. We go to see the car show. And what is on display? A Farmall “H”, virtually identical to the tractor I operated for years back on the Iowa farm.
Some local Elgin sights and some of the cars:
