When I was a kid, we had one of those wind-up record players, like a Victrola but a different brand.  We only had two records for it: "Mule Train" by Frankie Laine, and "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page.  I was one happy kid when they got me "Frosty the Snowman" to play on it one Christmas!  But Patti Page remains one of my favorite singers of all time and "Mockingbird Hill" is one of my all-time favorite songs as well.

All those tunes are quite familiar to me Alan. Not quite back to the windup victrola days but used to hear them on the radio frequently.
Here is a short bit of video I shot a couple of days ago showing how our spring is progressing. Took a scenic drive through the Qu'appelle valley along the shore of Echo Lake. Ice fishing huts were still out at the time but today is supposed to be the day they bring them in off the ice.
[video=youtube;OVydCZNm_9w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVydCZNm_9w[/video]

Wind up Victrola?

We had one too, in an upstairs room.  The song I remember most on it from my early childhood was "Yes, We Have No Bananas", we have no bananas today.  Some of the other records we had won't come to mind right now.  Oh, can't forget Barney Google -- with the goo goo google ee eye. Actually, I must still be a kid because:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]831[/ATTACH]    [ATTACH=CONFIG]833[/ATTACH]

I still have one.

I ran across an interesting vidio on u tube by accident today.  the Grandpa brings to mind several kind older men I have known during my lifetime.  I have posted the link on another sight but will post it here too in case some might enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ci1QciYTKs

Charlie V.

That Victrola looks to be in great shape, Charlie.  I still have the one that I referred to in my previous post but it's in poor shape.  It was made by the World Phonograph Company, in Chicago.  It had belonged to a granddaddy of mine who died in 1942, two years before I was born. My mother had it stored in her garage and when she passed away in 1991, my younger sister took it and stored it in her garage for several years.  Unfortunately, a leak developed in her garage roof and some of the phonograph's veneer was damaged.  Somewhere along the way, the pot metal tone arm got broken as well.  I've had an eBay search going on for years but I haven't been able to find another tone arm like I need.

Sunny and mild weather continues here with a little more snow melting every day. Driveway is pretty near dry but my yard is mud and water with a fair bit of snow yet. Less snow as you go south. Temp was in the high 40s in Fort Qu'appelle today as I drove through. The Gopro camera ook this photo showing the Qu'appelle river and only a patch of snow left in the bushes off in the distance.

Sunny and mild weather continues here with a little more snow melting every day. Driveway is pretty near dry but my yard is mud and water with a fair bit of snow yet. Less snow as you go south. Temp was in the high 40s in Fort Qu'appelle today as I drove through. The Gopro camera ook this photo showing the Qu'appelle river and only a patch of snow left in the bushes off in the distance.

We are still running behind on the Spring weather.  Days in the low to mid 30's.  Night before last was down to 12F.  The streams are getting a good chance to handle the thaw water with this slow action.  

A week ago I had to go to Arbies for a fish sandwich fix as they did not sell them the last couple of months of last  year.  Below is what the Canandaigua Outlet looked like at that time.  Still frozen over with snow drifts.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]840[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]841[/ATTACH]

This morning however, well, almost noon, this is the view.  33 degrees, overcast, and some kind of white stuff dropping on everything out there.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]842[/ATTACH]

Charlie V.

Sorry guys, don't have any new snow pictures. I did see the remnants of a snow drift on the bank of a creek on the way home from town this morning. I moved my trash burner this afternoon to relocate it and clean up the ashes. The ashes insulated the ground and was a mound of ice under it.

Right or wrong, I signed the contract for a new shop this morning. Decided to go with a Cleary energy series building. Will be 40' x 30' with 10 foot inside clearance with heavy trusses and metal siding and roof. May be sometime in May to get it put up, but will give me some time to get the site ready. Just can't wait to get the little dozer out and tear up some dirt. Will have to go into debt for this project. Hope the bank is friendly.

Gene

Right or wrong, I signed the contract for a new shop this morning. Decided to go with a Cleary energy series building. Will be 40' x 30' with 10 foot inside clearance with heavy trusses and metal siding and roof. May be sometime in May to get it put up, but will give me some time to get the site ready. Just can't wait to get the little dozer out and tear up some dirt. Will have to go into debt for this project. Hope the bank is friendly.

Gene

Gene I know you will enjoy that new shed . And likely the only regret you will have is that you did not build it sooner or bigger. I had the 50x64 built back in 2002 and have pretty well filled it up as well as the old steel quonset. I went for the 18 foot walls just in case I got a newer (higher) combine. Seems to me the final figure on the big straight wall was around $22,000 but I know steel prices have changed a little since then. I did all the ground prep myself hauling for days with the Loadstar truck and little Massey front end loader to level. Had to bring it up about 4 feet at the NW corner.
We are back to winter here with wild winds blowing new snow around. I got busy yesterday morning before the snow hit and got the Merc backed into the work shop. Like shutting the barn door after the horse is out I guess but ...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]843[/ATTACH]

Back to winter here in Sask. Had a little snow over the weekend but today it is really dumping the snow on us. Temp is staying up in the high 20s but it is not a good day to be on the roads. I took this picture at noon today showing the conditions. Snow beating down on my grandfather's homestead shack and the McCormick Deering.

Ohio had a brief winter on Monday evening with 3 inches of snow, but Tuesday's bright sunshine and warmer temps melted most of it and Wednesday with 55 degrees finished the melting.

Got my neighbor's 6 foot tiller on Sunday and on Monday adapted the 3 point hitch to fit my 700. Finished putting that together outside in heavy snow, but got it finished. Tuesday evening I gave the tiller a try and worked up the building site so I can level it off. Won't need any extra dirt to level it off. Have a slight rise on the south end that I will knock down to fill the lower north end. The hill would block drainage and by lowering that, the water will have good drainage as the ground slopes to the south across the lawn. Tractor and tiller worked well together, though the ground was a little wet and got good penetration.

Have a picture of the site.[ATTACH=CONFIG]845[/ATTACH]

The site looks pretty level Gene. I thought you might post a picture of the tiller too as I expect it is a little different than what we used to call a tiller.

I figured that was where you would put it Gene.
It's easier to visualize when you have been someplace before.

Took some pictures of the 3 point tiller. Some call them roto-tiller and Howard company built a larger machine called a rotovator. Have to run them slow to do a good. 1st gear on the 700 was just barely slow enough to run it and had to do some clutching in heavy load.

Farmer knows the building site. When he saw it, it was covered with Cub tractors.[ATTACH=CONFIG]847[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]848[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]849[/ATTACH]

Ralph, the site has about 1 foot fall, high to south. Will pull the dirt to north and east from the high part. Need to have that lower for water drainoff. Will lower the west side out from the building so water runs away away from building

Took some pictures of the 3 point tiller. Some call them roto-tiller and Howard company built a larger machine called a rotovator. Have to run them slow to do a good. 1st gear on the 700 was just barely slow enough to run it and had to do some clutching in heavy load.

Ralph, the site has about 1 foot fall, high to south. Will pull the dirt to north and east from the high part. Need to have that lower for water drainoff. Will lower the west side out from the building so water runs away away from building

Gene, that makes sense. My brother has a smiliar roto tiller on the back of his Kubota 18 hp diesel. The hydrostatic drive is ideal for this as it can slow right down to a crawl if necessary.
Weather update: the sun came out and we hit 40 degrees today so the wet snow is melting some and making lots of mud and water everywhere. Had a calf born this afternoon in one of the few relatively dry spots left on the farm. Going to need lots of straw. More rain predicted tomorrow.

Pretty new arrival you have there Ralph. Proud mama keeping her eye on you. Always liked the new arrivals, well maybe not the sheep.

Looks like you are finally getting some better temperatures. Maybe finally get some dry bare ground. You are at 30 degrees this morning, Charlie is 32 and snow and here in Ohio we have 13 degrees. Keeps the mud at bay. forecast for warmer by mid week.  March came in like a lion and the lion has not left us yet. Lamb needs to get here by Tuesday.

Worked in the barn yesterday trying to block some of the sparrow nesting spots. Hope I can discourage them from building their nests. Was a place to work out of the cold wind.

Gene

No 32 here, Gene.  At 7:30 this AM we were at 18.  Now to 21 and that is all we are going to today.  Two to three inches of new white fluff with an uncomfortable wind.  Light snow still earlier but occasional sun now.  Even the kitties that like it outside and hiding in the cellar way now.  They ventured out twice, then turned around and came right back in. I have to go out later.  Today is the day milk is on sale for $1.19 per 1/2 gallon at the store.  As an older lady commented down at the store a few weeks ago on a Saturday, "Today is the day we milk the cow.  

I sure need some good weather.  Enoough of this forever winter.

Charlie