All posts by warren

Mountain stories

April 23, 2013Fun, Thoughts, WVAppalachia, Family, Fun, Mountains, Not a soap opera!, WVwarren

Something occurred to me this weekend. In a way, I am a story teller, telling the day-to-day nonsense that goes on in our lives here on this blog. I know that’s pretty much what blogging is all about and it’s pretty cool how I get involved in other people’s lives and how (I suppose) some of you, dear friends, become involved in our lives. I enjoy telling our stories, for, like sands through an hourglass, these are the days of our lives.

Anyhow, this realization came to me while at an actual concert put on by a real, professional story teller, Lorna MacDonald Czarnota. My friend Granny Sue held a house concert where both she and Ms. Czarnota told several diverse stories and sang ballads. I don’t know if you have ever heard a professional story teller, but if you ever get a chance, go and listen.

Mountain Stories at the house concert — Lorna MacDonald Czarnota

Granny Sue is our neighbor so I knew her house. She has a fantastic house in the woods surrounded by trees and birds and flowers. Her home is incredible, filled with antiques and mountain heritage and beautiful glassware and books. She invited us to walk about her house and drink sassafras tea and enjoy a variety of snacks. It was a beautiful arrangement and truly an awesome experience. It’s what story telling was at its beginning…friends and neighbors getting together to tell stories and enjoy each other’s company.

Abigail and I had a great time and she re-told the stories we heard the whole way home. I am not sure I am really much of a story teller, but I am delighted that Abigail had so much fun listening and re-telling stories. I hope she will learn some mountain stories and make up some of her own. However she wants to communicate, the wonderful imagination that will be fed from these mountains makes me happy!

My bumblebee

April 19, 2013Bees, TechnologyBees, Nature, Stingers suck!, Yellowwarren

Isaac was mowing the yard at my office tonight which gave me a little time to take in the local wildlife…and a lot of pollen and chlorophyll. Mostly there were stink bugs and flying whatnots but there was one extremely huge bumblebee with which I made friends.

Emily really hates dandelions but I think they are sort of nice. I mean, in the spring time, all of the colors are so bold and bright…and it doesn’t get much bolder or brighter than dandelions. My bumblebee obviously agreed as he was all over the flowers that Isaac was mercilessly slaying!

It’s taken me awhile to fully appreciate the lowly bumblebee. When I was a kid, I spent every weekday at the local swimming hole. I mean 100% of days. There was a “beach” set up along one of the local creeks in Tionesta, PA where I grew up. They had a concession stand and..well, that’s about it. But still, it was the beach. Anyhow, there was a ton of clover and back then, honeybees were still common. Between the honeybees and the bumblebees, I got many stings and I hated that. Heck, I have been stung so many times since then, I guess I have made peace.

Most small critters fascinate me but I think bees of all sorts are among the tops in my book! So, my bumblebee and I will check in each week as Isaac cuts the grass…as long as I can keep Emily from plowing under all of my dandelions!

Kentucky Cane Mill…yes, I bought another one

April 17, 2013Awesome, History, TinkeringCane mill, Heavy metal...turn it up!, Sorghumwarren

I get wild hairs sometimes. It is usually not a big deal but when I get into something, sometimes I jump in with both feet. Honestly, most times I jump with both feet. Plans are nice for people who like to plan, but I often just go for it. I posted a few weeks ago about the Chattanooga Plow Company cane mill I got to make sorghum. In response to that post, a gentleman in Minnesota contacted me about a mill he had inherited from his grandfather…in Minnesota. That’s probably a little far north for sorghum and definitely too far north for sugar cane. He wasn’t sure why it ended up in his grandfather’s barn but he wanted to find it a new home where it would be used as it was intended.

We emailed back and forth for quite awhile. I considered driving to Minnesota to pick it up but that seemed like more than I wanted to bite off. I checked around for shipping costs but since it was so heavy and the weight was concentrated into such a small package, the prices were insane. The highest price I saw was $2300.

I really wanted this mill though. It is sort of cool to add to the collection because it was made by Deere & Mansur. That company became John Deere of course. What makes that fun in my book is that International Harvester which made the other mill (by buying Chattanooga Plow Company), got into the plow business when it appeared that Deere was going to branch from the plow business into the harvester business. I do not know the exact dates but these two cane mills would have been contemporaries and competitors.

Anyhow, awhile back I flipped the tv to watch Shipping Wars. It’s a program following small shippers who bid on parcels that need delivered. The idea is I put a bid request for delivery of my cane mill and small (and some large) shippers bid on it. Bids go lower of course so I make out better and can choose the lowest/best bidder. On the show, they follow a few very colorful shippers, most of whom have a van or small truck where they pick up several packages and bid on additional deliveries along their route.

So, I signed up and a nice couple from WV happened to be in Minnesota and were heading through WV on their way to FL (or something like that). They bid on my delivery and it worked out beautifully. They called me often with status updates and I could track their progress with the website that manages all of this. I guess not everyone has great luck but my shipping battle was a done deal! I received the mill and have plans to fix it up and use it along with the bigger mill. Honestly, I am at the edge of giddy about having these cool and historic pieces of farm equipment in my possession. Emily may be less excited but she surely is a tolerant and kind woman!

My cane mill/sorghum stuff

Watch out for the guy on the loader

April 15, 2013Adventure, HouseHouse, Landfills are nasty so stay in school kids, Sweet mother of Zeus there was a lot of dust!warren

We ripped down all of the walls from Abigail’s room and loaded it into boxes. We just got “medium” boxes from a store and they weighed, when full, around 80 pounds each. Emily and I hauled them down the steps to the trailer. One day last week, I hitched up the trailer and headed to the dump. I have never been to a landfill before. When we lived in TN, our county had a really cool place we called the dump. In actuality, it was a bunch of big dumpsters where the county would accept trash, metal, plastics, etc…pretty much everything. It was open every day and was super convenient. It was a dump I guess but not a true landfill.

So, here in WV, my county does not have a TN style dump so I had to take the boxes to our proper landfill. I don’t know if you have ever taken stuff to a landfill, but it was an adventure! I pulled onto scales where the nice lady took down my information and my weight. She then told me to “follow the dust and stay out of the way of the guy on the loader.” I get that it is a large piece of equipment, but it made me wonder if the guy on the loader was stable.

Anyhow, I followed the dust awhile and sure enough, I could see a huge loader driving back and forth over a huge pile of junk and trash. Truck after truck was lined up. They whipped around and backed up to the pile, somehow missing the guy on the loader. Some unloaded stuff by hand, while others in the big trucks dumped and ran. Not having a dump trailer, I had to back into my spot and unload by hand. As you might guess, the smell was…bad…very bad. Bits of stuff were blowing around. Crows were picking over who-knows-what. It was dusty and I always had to keep an eye out for the guy on the loader.

At the landfill — Watch out! It’s the loader!

Once I had it all unloaded, I had to drive my way back out through the huge ruts and blowing junk. Getting out was harder as there was no dust to follow. There was still plenty of dust but it wasn’t the following kind of dust. Anyhow, I finally made it back out and drove back up onto the scales. My load ended up weighing 820 pounds which cost me around $16. That seemed like a pretty good deal. I had another same-sized load I took another day so my house certainly groaned with relief. One little room shed 1600 or so pounds of weight. I guess the guy on the loader was probably happy to see more junk to push around too, so all in all, it was a pretty cool experience. My nose will never be the same and I permanently coated my lungs with pulverized nasty blowing around the landfill. Who knows, maybe the guy on the loader was trying to find his way out and was just following the wrong dust!

Torn down

April 9, 2013HouseHome repair, I am a dirty boy, Money pit!warren

Abigail wanted a new bedroom and that’s what she is going to get! Emily’s Dad, Emily, and Abigail tore up the carpet and tack strips and I demolished the walls and ceiling.

That sounds easy and mostly it was (I used a 16 pound hammer which made things go quickly) but it was filthy work.

The other day, I said there was no insulation in her walls but I was wrong. When our house was built in 1939, apparently it was pretty modern. The builders used Kimsul insulation, made by Kimberly-Clarke. Kimsul is made from bats of crepe paper impregnated with asphalt. Apparently it was originally developed as an insulation for refrigerators, car dashboards and homes. I am not much for old movies but Kimsul was popularized by Cary Grant in the movie, “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House”. Mr Blandings didn’t have to go back in years later and deal with it though!

We dress down a little when we work on our house…

Imagine 75 year old crepe paper exposed to numerous heating and cooling cycles. It was packed down into a nearly flattened blanket so had no insulation value left (insulation only works if it is not compressed…it has to have dead air space to slow the transfer of heat).

Whenever I touched the Kimsul, no matter how gently, it disintegrated and turned into Kim-snow. It’s dirty-oil-brown, paper-like and all around miserable stuff.

Emily and I wore dust masks and glasses so we were somewhat protected, but we still got pretty messy. I just took a shovel and scooped up the old plaster and insulation into boxes and we carried it down to the trailer in preparation for a run to the landfill. We are almost done with all of that so she should be back into her new and improved room in…oh…6-8 years!

Double digits!

April 5, 2013FamilyAm I old enough for this?, Family, Mah baby!warren

While I am a little late in documenting it, Abigail moved from single digits to double digits this week! It’s hard to believe it was a decade ago when she was born. I still remember when I crossed the decade mark. It seems like yesterday and that was three decades ago! Anyhow, my little baby girl is growing up and it is so exciting to see her blooming into a cool kid! Sh’e smart and interesting and still likes dirt and bugs.

For her birthday, all she wanted was a new bedroom. We live in an old house and her room could use an update…something from this century or even the later part of last century. Her mom and her Granddad are helping her rip out the carpet and the old cruddy plaster so we can freshen up everything. We are even going to install an overhead light which she desperately wants! It’s funny how the simple things mean a lot to her…and that makes me happy.

She’s a great kid and I love watching her grow up into a great young lady!

At the auction

April 2, 2013Audio, Fun, WVauctioneers are cool, Audio, Fun, My lips would be numbwarren

Last weekend I went to an auction that benefits the FFA in Ravenswood, WV. I heard about it sort of accidentally so I didn’t really have any sort of a plan together but I heard that there were several different qualities of junk available.

I have heard people say that at flea markets and auctions, you can only get junk…you can find your plain old, run of the mill junk up through first class junk. As I wandered around the Jackson County Fairgrounds, I was surprised. To be sure, there was a lot of junk available for a few dollars per ton. There was some really great stuff too, and since I really like stuff like this, I spent a few hours perusing the piles.

I think what I enjoyed more than anything was the sound of the auctioneers. Most everyone knows the general sound of the auctioneer’s call and most people wonder how anyone knows what price they are paying for something. If you have never heard a real auctioneer calling, take a listen to a recording I made of my favorite guy.

From the recording, it is hard to tell what is going on I suppose, but I have to tell you, in person, I was never really in doubt about what he was selling (even if he just named it a big box of junk) or what the current bid was when he was calling. If you have never been, go to an auction some time!

I think next year I will go again to this auction and this time, I will have a plan!

More stuff in Cincinnati

March 29, 2013Family, Fun, ThoughtsCincinnati, Freedom, Learning...is fun?, Underground Railroadwarren

In addition to licking Abe Lincoln’s leg, we did a few other things on our recent Cincinnati trip. Since the kids were less old than they are today, we have always enjoyed visiting public aquariums. It just so happens that Ohio has a pretty cool aquarium. It’s in Kentucky, but Ohio’s aquarium is pretty awesome! I am always happy that the kids seem to enjoy wandering around aquariums. We often see repeating species but it never grows old. I guess it is a testimony to how incredible nature is. I always stand amazed at the variety of creatures that exist and it makes me sad when I hear how so much of the diversity that exists is in jeopardy due to global climate change, habitat destruction or other abuses of nature.

Newport Aquarium

Anyhow, we very much enjoyed touring the Newport aquarium and spent several hours enjoying all there was to see. We also spent a bunch of time at the Contemporary Arts Center. We had a great time touring the exhibits and what made it especially cool is that we got to interact with the art pieces on two entire floors in the ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds exhibit! When we walked in, I didn’t realize that the place was set up for kids but it couldn’t have been more perfect. Of course, most art is regular museums is hands-off, but the kids and I both enjoyed playing Smash Pong (Ping pong on an artsy table where extreme hitting is encouraged), flying paper airplanes and rocking-and-rolling a patchwork quilt camper at the CAC.

At the Contemporary Arts Center

I think the place that was the most powerful during the trip was the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. I am not sure why it sort of touched a nerve with all of us, but seeing the “slave pen” when you enter the building spoke to us immediately. It’s a simple display but when we walked into the wooden cabin, we all stood with our mouths open, not saying a word. Seventy or so people were warehoused in a a room not much larger than a typical school classroom. They were forced to live in terror, filth and shock until they were sold.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Most displays within the center were simple and straightforward but I think that made it easier to understand the horror that faced slaves each and every day. It seems so simple to see how wrong it is to take someone’s freedom and civil rights. We learned so much about the economics of slavery, the politics of bondage and the bravery of people who worked to protect others. I understand the economics of slavery I guess, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine how people can be so cruel to other people. I cannot imagine treating animals as badly as slaves were/are treated, let along talking, thinking people!? Both the kids and I continued onto the discussion of modern slavery and we were shocked at how extensive modern slavery is around the world and even here in the United States. You know, it is one thing to read about what people did a long time ago…it’s easy to write off as how things were when people didn’t know any better, but now…how can people still enslave other people? I don’t understand it and am pleased that the kids were equally shocked and disturbed.

Despite the tone of this writing, these places were each pretty incredible in their own way and I was pleased to visit and learn something in each place. I suppose it is fairly uncommon when you can experience powerful imagery with your kids and even more powerful when it changes how you see the world!

How to catch a cat

March 19, 2013Nature, WV'Possum!, Nature, WVwarren

We used to have a neighbor who was somewhat less than “whole”. She had a real passion for animals…well, for collecting animals; not so much for taking care of them. Fast forward a few years and she has moved away, and, in fact, her house was torn down. The animals remain and we have grown somewhat attached to some of them. Just so you get a picture of what I mean, we have had as many as 13 cats on our side porch…none of which was ours.

There are fewer now and we have captured the ones that are tame and had them fixed. I guess we should have taken them all to the pound but there are a few that are good cats and nice to pet when we are out in the yard. They stay outside and keep the varmints at bay. There are a number of cats that are feral, and as it is now spring, pregnant. We do not need a dozen more cats around here so we plan to trap the feral ones and take them to the pound. I have a few box traps so this seemed like an easy task. I baited two traps with canned cat food and walked away.

I checked the traps periodically through the day and only succeeded in catching one of the tame/fixed cats…three times. I can’t tell if he is smart or dumb. Dumb to keep getting caught or smart because he filled his belly with good food, knowing that we would just release him. Anyhow, I set them again and forgot about it until morning. I checked the trap Sunday and sure enough, I caught another cat…a real wild one!

'possum caught in a trap — (hint: that’s not really a cat)

I took this one out to the woods and let him go. He didn’t stick around for pleasantries which suited me just fine!

Electrolysis to remove rust

March 17, 2013Awesome, Technology, TinkeringDon't be blinded by science!, Electrolysis to remove rust, it's shocking!warren

So my cane mill is around 105 years old. It has rust slightly younger than that, but that’s not saying much. Pretty much all un-restored mills have old rust to some degree. Some folks like the rust look and it technically will not harm you if it is otherwise clean. I don’t like the look though and the mills weren’t rusty when they were new so it’s not like I am changing its original state.

So, I was searching around for the best way to remove rust from old iron and there were tons of people using electrolysis. I had heard of electrolysis for hair removal (which is becoming increasingly more interesting as I age and my ears have started to sprout). Anyhow, it is a well known technique for rust removal too (Here is a great bit of info on it). I put my rusty iron into a plastic tub filled with water and laundry soda. I hooked up my battery charger and hee-haw if it didn’t start bubbling!

Cut the power on and wait a few hours and poof…science happens! Search around for more details on your own because, of course, this could kill you if you do it wrong (Just look at my de-rusting tank…those bars are electrified when it’s running). Abigail and I enjoyed our little experiment and I am here to report that it works pretty well. I will still touch it up with a sand blaster (or maybe a soda blaster) but I think it is going to turn into a really nice piece!