The Autumn Roundup

This weekend I accompained my husband on his annual trip to the hills above and beyond Proctorsville, a few miles north of home, where the Autumn Roundup is held every fall.  It is a rather unique event which focuses on antique tractors along with other old machinery.  It is pretty much a 'guy' thing but where there are guys there are usually their gals too!  We go along for the ride and enjoy each other's company, looking around and marveling at these old things.  Some participants set up shop and sell 'stuff' pertaining to motors, parts and a great variety of merchandise.

Trying to explain some of this old machinery is baffling to my female brain as I try to describe the sights there!  In 'guy talk' which I don't know if you gals will 'get', and without researching these things to get the proper terms etc, I'll just say that what I hear called "one lungers" are the old gasoline/kerosene powered motors that power up some really unusual equipment.

Handy Dandy Can Crusher

This was my favorite oddity.  The fellow has a kick start on this 'one lung' thingy that starts it running.  As it runs, its power turns this wheel.  It goes putt-putt-putt-putt-POW ( the POW being the firing that gives the push that makes the wheel keep up to speed).  Now, as this wheel goes around, the Boot lifts to the top of the shaft and comes down forcefully upon a soda can you want to crush and as you see, it flattens it real good.  Then the lady's shoe (on the right) comes zipping across and kicks the can off the block it rested on while getting squished, right off into a container !  All you do to operate this marvel is to give it a kick start and get 'er going.... quickly slip a can under the boot and keep those cans coming!! The original use for this power was to run an early 'automatic' washing machine they tell me.  (And I thought that the old wringer washer I started out with was old!)

I wandered around the field where all the things like this were displayed and being operated, marveling at man's early ingenuity.  The wood splitter run by this kind of power was really something to watch.  It split really big rounds, like tree trunk size as well as the smaller version which did a great job of further splitting the pieces to kitchen stove size.  The youngsters enjoyed splitting wood under close supervision.

The Woodsplitter

BUT the best was the ice cream churn, or should I say the wonderful tasting ice cream it produced!  Putt-putt-putt-putt-POW and while we waited it churned out some wonderful real maple flavored ice cream!! You could buy a cup for $2.00.  Also for sale were big pieces of homemade apple pie.

The Ice Cream Maker

Since my hubby had set up a table and had some other stuff there to sell, we took turns wandering around and minding the store. I sold a few jars of homemade relish.   He sold lots of old things he now has no use for and has unearthed as part of his 'cleaning out the barn' days.  Got the most comments on an old round flare that was used to warn folks away from a hole in the road back in the day.  Now we have those lovely bright red or green cones for the purpose and they never need filling with kerosene!  We had it lit and if there had been any mosquitoes in the area they would have gone to bother the next vendor.

A road sander/sawdust spreader on a trailer of its own that Dennis built 

We took this contraption to the Roundup behind the Gypsy Wagon in hopes of selling it to someone with a long driveway not maintained as a Town road.  Being on it's own wheels it doesn't occupy the back of the truck all winter or have to be taken out when you need to get another load of wood etc. The box on the front houses the battery that makes it run.  He didn't sell this but went back today (the Roundup goes for two days) with his dump trailer and did sell that.

It was a fun time and definitely different!  A cool and foggy morning there on the hill and it was pretty seeing the fog lift and the sun come out to warm the day.  Sort of a step back in time seeing how things used to be.  

Today after church, Angel and I went to Chester to check out the Festival there.  So many venders with lovely hand crafted things to sell.  The newest item was by the clever lady who made the warmest ever mittens using recycled sweaters lined with soft fleece!  LOVELY!   Also leg warmers.  Don't toss out those so called outdated sweaters !  After the Craft Festival we attended a barn warming.  Our friend Barb had the old ancestral barn which was in need of a make over all shored up and made to look so nice and now sturdy.  Wonderful party with lots of folks there to celebrate with her.  

A nice country weekend.  Hope your's was nice too.  

"The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts

The safest place to be is in someone's prayers

And the very best place to be is in the hands of God"

Summer Is Packing Her Bags....Soon To Be Gone

It is blessedly cooler today!  The Cricket chorus is really loud this morning and I haven't heard the harvest fly's buzzzzzzzzzzz lately.  The little humming birds are still here for a bit yet ... usually they leave us around the 15th of Sept. for their winter in Central or South America.  I guess summer is ready to leave us.

I awoke this morning to the crowing of our local rooster ... he must have a name but we've yet to be intorduced.  He resides at the Pink House with the hens, a couple of goats, (BarBQ and Curry) and a few sheep.  Kathleen bought what we here in the VIllage have always known as "The Pink House".  It is a well known landmark and is used by all as a point of location, by everyone except the lady in your GPS!

Mr Rooster was a bit late with his wake up call today so I was a bit late hopping out of bed.  I knew it was to be a busy day too!  Last night, my good hubby, in charge of grinding and measuring, got me ready for zucchini relish making by filling my old crock with the fruits of his labors,  zucchini, onions, and red and green peppers.  These sit and brine overnight in a bit of salt and are waiting for me to drain, rinse and cook  into a really tasty relish in the morning.  This is our 2nd. batch.  The Zucchini are really popping out now!  Today's yield was 16 jars.  I sold a few jars on Sat. and some loaves of homemade bread at our little Farmer's/Artisans market on the Green. It was a slow selling day, probably because it was Labor Day weekend with so many fun things going on for folks to do.  The local apple orchard and petting zoo was having an open house party day with free hot dogs, a clown etc.  Pumpkins were ready and waiting for kids to select their favorite for soon to be Halloween Jack-O-Lanturn carving.

I finished my relish making and got a batch of spaghetti sauce simmering, then make a kettle of Sausage- Kale Soup.  This sure seems like Monday!  Oh, well, I didn't labor yesterday so the chores are waiting for me on Tuesday.  Laundry needs folding now.  Have a lovely week and don't forget to bid Summer a fond farewell.

A couple quotes:

'There is nothing better than a friend ..... unless it is a friend with Chocolate!' Charles Dickens

As a blossom can't tell what becomes of it's fragrance, we can't tell what becomes of our influence.
                                                                                                                         Unknown