Life goes on - Summer 2022

60 degrees this morning in west michigan - long underwear weather for Wayne and the North family. :smirk:

11 Likes

You got that right. lol It’s still a comfortable 90 to 105 F here. :joy::joy::joy:

10 Likes

That’s what we are expecting this week. More wood drying weather hot and dry. I will be in the water cooling off this week. So work early in the morning and stay cool in the afternoons.
Bob

8 Likes

Thats a cool tractor, the steel wheels must be and old GEM of a tractor.What year did they stop useing steel tractor wheels.Thanks.

5 Likes

Hi Kevin, i believe for Europe rubber tires for tractors was introduced in the 1930:s, world war 2 then ended the import, making the transition to rubber delayed, even tractors that had weared down their rubber tires had to re-install old steel tires.
In Sweden the state/military also confiscated a lot of rubber tires for their supplys, wich also lead to farmers mounted steel wheels again, in Sweden i believe no steel wheels was sold after 1946.
I dont know for the US though? I believe those big prarie-tractors used steel weels into the 1930:s?

8 Likes

Ever seen someone TOC? (tresh on wood)?

12 Likes

Right on time Kristijan. Grain are and will will be pricy. A WG mill is next, right?

5 Likes

Indeed. Corn has now reached close to 3 time the normal price. I fear what this will cause on the long run. Meat and dairy prices…

I got the tresher working, l got the tool that blows the hulls off (dont know the term), and l even have a stone mill but its in bad conditiin and l will probably be able to only salvage the stones. So this year l will get the grain milled for me, then l will rebuild the mill next year.

Ok now something interesting. This thresher was rotting outside for years. I got it for free. I was sure its bushings siezed as it wuldnt turn but l found the reason being a peace of wood stuck in the drum. Then it turned without any effort. After years of rain and snow! I poured oil in the oil holders and went to work. Now what struck me is the fact that even thugh those are simple bushings, not bearings, and being so neglected, they hadnt even goten warm in about a hour of work, and this thing realy spins! I wuld guess about 1500 rpm for sure

13 Likes

From what I’m told you just cant beat bronze bushings, they are tough as nails as they say. Not to mention I find anything serviceable like oil cups and grease fittings to just flat out last longer. Good find!

7 Likes

Did anybody say apple?

Not all we already harvested. And still a lot more yet to come

15 Likes

Wow, isnt that early? We have a bad apple year. Only a few. Some night frost destroyed a lot of blossom

2 Likes

These are very early variety White Transparent, here we call them Summer Translucent. Very old one from Latvia. And very popular here, but not available at the market, because they are not for storage more than a week. Mostly for cooking, especially for sweet desserts, because of their rich sour taste. Best “strudel” with them as far as I know.
This year is a very rich harvest, as usual every even year. In odd ones, the harvest might be 1/10 or even less. We say that trees rest every second year.

8 Likes

Vary interesting history, Thanks for the reply about the history of transition from steel tires too rubber tires war delay story.

3 Likes

We too have this woriety. Super early but if stored just a short time they turn to a sawdust like texture

6 Likes

Wet sawdust is a good enough image :smile:
Transparent blanche or similar is the name of ours. Jam or juice while they still keep their integrity is the only way I know of. Still only ping-pong size here though. They will need another month.

8 Likes

So what do you do with them. Apple Sauce? Juice? Cider? I only have two varieties on three trees. Honeycrisp and Gala. I actually got apples this year. The last four years a late frost got them in blossom stage.

7 Likes

They are super early and a great summer refreshment when no other apple is on sight. Ghe texture is great when fresh, only when they are stored they turn to mush. Good for strudel and applesauce

11 Likes

As @JO_Olsson wrote. Classic jam with sugar, which is very good filling for “buchta”. Or just grate them into noodles and shortly boil till they soften and then can them into large glass bottles. Best for strudel till next summer.

10 Likes

YES and i heard that in large parts of usa south, farmers are selling of there younger cattle in record numbers, on the count of the drought and high feed prices.No other way too brake even,Or watch there cattle starve too death.Record extended 100 degrees and not enough rain.

3 Likes

The wife enjoyed painting my old work truck last week so I thought I would let her paint the house today.


.

14 Likes