Jon @ Homer

Hokiebird, car #28 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:53 PM 0 comments

McCay-Norris Streamliner, note the gravity feed gas can on the "dash board". This is a very rare consept car from 1934. 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:52 PM 0 comments

Checking in at the finish line 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:50 PM 0 comments

Packard 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:49 PM 0 comments

The GEICO Gekio in a Caddy 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:48 PM 0 comments

Cars Crossing the line to finsh the day leg. 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:47 PM 0 comments

Team from Floyd VA 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:45 PM 0 comments

The Great Race

Went to the Great Race which was stopping for the night in Urbana. The Great Race is a rally across the country in cars that are at least 45 years old or older. The oldest car was a 1910 ?? - well I will post more later - with some details and photos. I have started to give Hello a try for posting pictures and it looks like it will be much easier than linking to my old ISP PWP.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 10:51 PM 0 comments

Fence Painted

Today in 95+ heat I painted the rest of the stockade fence. I started off with a roller but painting the lattice was going to be tough either with a roller or a brush so I decided to get the old Wagner power painter out. I started with 2.2 gallons of paint in a 5 gallon bucket and a roller keeping it mixed with a cordless drill.

I studied the Wagner manual (yes I read the directions - last time I used the power painter it ended up just squirting a stream out ie not working). In the manual it showed a description of bad popit (atomizer valves) and the one I had look like the worst type of a bad valve. Bad valves cause squirting rather than spraying. I know I have some popet valves that I bought on clearance but for the life of me I couldn't find them. So off to the hardware store - in AC! Well first old Homer Hardware didn't have them, but I did pickup a Blenheim's HOT. Next the new Do It Best in St Joe had a sidewalk sale and I found some things but no popets plus a thunderstorm was threatening. Still I was determined to find those valves - Farm & Fleet is only 12 miles via interstate. It started to rain cat's and dogs once I got on I74 - I still had 2 gallons of stain sitting in an open bucket but I figured I couldn't beat the rain back so if it rained it would rain in my paint.

Farm & Fleet had atomizer valves but not Wagner power painters - so off to Menards/Lowes/HD. So I made a 46 mile trip for the damn little valves but I didn't find them once I got home. Also, the rain never made it to Homer - shoot it didn't make it to the east side of St Joe.

Anyways back to painting - once I got the sprayer running the job went much faster and I was able to get the lattice top and the "gallows" painted in short order.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 10:10 PM 0 comments

Robbie Fulks at the Highdive

I went to see Robbie Fulks at the Highdive last night - great show. I also really enjoyed second opening act, The Bird Dogs out of Bloomington IL. He was heading to the Grand Old Opery the next night.


Stub 

posted by Jon at Homer @ 10:41 PM 0 comments

Finished Backyard Fence Construction

Today, in spite of on and off again rain I was able to get the last of fence constructed this weekend.



If it had not been raining on off I would be able to get the stain/sealer on so I can attach the wire. The section beside the garage is removable for vehicle access to the back of the house.

Once I get the new fence up I can remove the old fence, move the dog kennel to the heavy shade behind the garage. I am also going to move and level shed.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 10:02 PM 0 comments

Niko Case @ the Highdive

Back to the Highdvie last night, for Neko Case. Another great show she was good - I didn't know anything about her going in but if she was going to be at the Highdive it would at least be a good show.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 11:21 AM 0 comments

Daisy Got shaved

Today I took Ms. Daisy for her annual summer trim. She wasn't happy but at least didn't need to be dragged into the groomers.



All and all I think she looks pretty good, especially for a 9-10 year old dog. Click here to see "shaggy Daisy"

While she was getting trimmed I went in search of a good cordless phone with caller ID so I could us it when I transition to voice over IP via Vonage. I knew Best Buy had one on sale after rebate but it had an answering machine built in - I won't need the answering machine with Vonage's voice mail. I checked out Staples, down the shopping center from Petsmart - nothing great so I moved on. I had a late lunch at Culvers, a Santa Fe salad that was rather good, it had pickled avocado not stirred up into grocumole - and unique salad. For desert they have a lemon ice sweetened with splenda. So I had a guilt free fast food for lunch. At Office Depot I found a gold mine of clearance cordless phones - I almost picked up a basic Vtech w/id 2.4 gHz for $20 when I discovered they had a Uniden 2.4 with caller ID with two headsets for $25. Perfect now I can connect and test out voice over IP before switching over from the phone company.


I also needed to find a replacement belt, my current daily belt is a bit too large and while I haven't gotten below the 200 level I have been shooting for I needed a new daily belt. Do you know how hard it is to find a decent harness leather belt? In any case I checked out Kohls, they had some for $14 still it wasn't that good of leather but across the parking lot another store and the same belt for $10 - Bingo my lucky day.

After that I picked up some my lumber for the fence and picked up Daisy who was very happy to see me, yet this year she didn't have the opportunity to jump over the gate.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 9:53 PM 0 comments

Installed office/bedroom A/C

I installed the office/bedroom A/C unit on Sunday after the vintage baseball game as it was getting very hot upstairs. I heard this morning that yesterday was hotter than it was all last summer, plus high humidity. Of course it was only 94 or 95 F so last summer was very mild.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 8:22 PM 0 comments

More images from the Homer Sequential

Downtown Homer, the old IOOF & Old Homer Hardware. (for information about Homer Soda Co. housed in the restored IOOF Hall building listen to this audio program in RA - it is the last segment Sidetrack Aug 04 or Sidetrack Aug 04)



The Champaign County Historical Society Popcorn Wagon - on a 46 Dodge I think.


A 1910 Wilson Motor car



Wagon rides on Main St.



Multiple Floats of Homer High School, now merged into Heritage High School.


In addition to the military vehicles, firetrucks, tow trucks, a cement truck even the funeral home brought out their hearses from over the years.

The parade lasted for 45 minutes and I was heard someone to remark that it looked like people were 6 deep on central Main Street.



I also went to the vintage baseball game held today at the old Homer High School, very interesting - catching a ball on one bounce was an out.

To watch a southpaw hit click here for a *.AVI file

posted by Jon at Homer @ 10:33 PM 0 comments

Barry Morris felt a great disturbance in the "force" today around 11:20 am CDT

I am sure Barry Morris felt a great disturbance today, during the reenactment of the Homer Temperance Protest first the surviving sister of one of the original temperance leaders started in on the barrels and then the ax was passed on.




In the end three 50 gallon barrels of whiskey (from KY so it might have been bourbon) were split open and poured into the gutter - I got sprayed with some - it was real Whiskey.



I am sure at 20 past after noon on the east coast that a cold shiver ran down Barry's back.

Homer was home to one of the major temperance leaders in the US who went on to become Governor of IN and later argue to uphold the 17th amendment in the US Supreme Court in 1920. I'll update this post when I have a chance.

So far I have been enjoying the day's festivities, the gun fight will be later on followed by a parade.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 2:48 PM 0 comments

Figured out where the machine gun fire is coming from, there are guys running around town "firing" 50 caliber machine guns from old army jeeps...

I wasn't kidding - the War Metal Display guy have got some of the old heavy machine gun outfitted with a gas oxygen ignite system to make the gun sound like it is firing by cycling the bolt. (see below)



The War Metal Display came through about 9:15 as a convoy flanked by motorcycle escorts



I'll try to post some more detailed images later if anyone is interested.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 2:37 PM 0 comments

automatic weapon fire in the distance

There it is again, off in the distance I clearly heard two or three short bursts from a heavy machine gun. This isn't fireworks or just regular gunshots - it is a low distant sounding steady thump-thump-thump-thump. Either the town is being attacked or someone is having allot of fun... I'll have to get up and see.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 7:21 AM 0 comments

Down Stairs AC - Homer Sesquicentennial

After grinding oat inoculum on a humid day then coming home to mow and weed eat the lawn. I was hot, it was very humid so I pulled the 17500 BTU AC out of the closet and installed it downstairs. I have yet to install the one for my office/bed room but at 90% humidity it won't be long before I do. I also need to run a new circuit upstairs to the front bed room for the other AC currently in the garage.

Now showered and shaved I am heading off to the Homer Sesquicentennial Celebration downtown.

posted by Jon at Homer @ 6:36 PM 0 comments