1947 Farmall BN & Alan Klages

This is a restored 1947 Farmall BN, with Alan Klages at the wheel. If you know Alan (he lived in Cremona, Alberta during the 1980s & 1990s), he can be contacted through the author of this blog.

IH produced the Farmall BN from 1940 to 1947, and there were about 1500 of them produced. The Farmall BN is the same tractor as the Farmall B, except for a few rear wheel changes. It provides a narrower rear wheel tread , varying in 4 inch increments. It would allow the rear wheel to be placed from 56 to 84 inches apart, while the B only allowed the wheels to stretch from 64 to 92 inches. The BN was designed to work row crops, such as beets and potatoes.
Here are some specifications of the B range of tractors.

This one is in a lot rougher shape than Alan's, but for those of you seeking some close-ups, these will be helpful.

http://photos.cubfest.com/albums/userpics/10146/normal_HendersonLoader2.jpg
http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/110425/692r3/6214a28_19.jpeg
http://photos.cubfest.com/thumbnails.php?album=184
http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/clasquery.cgi

Midland & Penetanguishene, 15 June 2011

Looking northeast out into the bay, Mundy's Harbour, Midland.


Looking across the water in Midland, from the east side of Mundy's Harbour. Almost the same position as above.


The marina at the main dock in Penetanguishene.


Looking towards the King's Wharf Theatre and Discovery Harbour, Penetanguishene.


Sunset at the north end of Penetanguishene, with Magazine Island at the bottom right horizon. From the same position as above.

Cooking, baking, etc. - ongoing

24 May 2011 - A sort of raisin granola bar pie concoction.


23 May 2011 - Vegetarian tamale pie: thin version with bottom cornmeal crust only, and cheese topping


23 May 2011 - Vegetarian tamale pie: thick version with top and bottom cornmeal crust, and cheese topping


16 May 2011 - Cornbread with cheese baked into it.


15 May 2011 - A tomato-heavy daal, and cabbage lightly braised with chilis.


8 May 2011 - Dutch apple pie redux, with cloves added for extra yumminess.


2 May 2011 - Raisin cream pie: my grandfather's favourite, and a pie I had not tasted in a long time. Taste bud long-term memory kicked in a most pleasing way.


28 Apr. 2011 - Shepherd's pie


February 2011 - An apple pie I made using my mom's recipe. A family favourite.

Queen's Park, Toronto - March 2011

Queen's Park during the melt and rain of March 2011. Really not much to say here, other than that I was surprised I didn't see Dalton McGuinty being brought into work in a canoe. That being said, perhaps I'll go back and post "before" and "after" shots for comparison's sake.









June 2010:

This is more or less the same area as the first winter shot above.


This is more or less the same area as the second winter shot above.


This is the basically the same shot as the last winter shot above.

Winnipeg, Oct. 2010

The relatively new bridge spanning the Red River on the east side of downtown Winnipeg. The imagination involved in planning structural features to overcome ice and flooding are fascinating.


The view southwest from the bridge.


An intriguing tribute to Gandhi, at one end of a park commemorating the Aboriginal/Metis role in building Winnipeg and Manitoba.


Portage and Main, windiest intersection in Canada, and arguably the centre of the country.



The muddy shores of the Red.

Bruce's Caves, Wiarton - Oct. 2009

Long lost brothers?





Read the story of Bruce's Caves.

Sauble Beach, Oct. 2009

Halifax, Aug. 2009

Fish and chips at the Henry House. Best I've ever had.







This shot and the one below are of the headstones for those bodies recovered from the Titanic wreckage, or who died soon thereafter, and are buried in Halifax.

The Farm (Minto/Normanby township line), Apr. 2009

Home. c. 1970. Almost 100% likely a photo by my mom.
The mixed rail/slat fence didn't last too long.



Almost all of the photos below show the property I grew up on, which for convenience I call 'the farm', until I was 12 (1970-1982).
The pictures below were taken about 40 years after the one above.



This is the house, viewed from the end of the driveway. Everything's changed a lot since the late 1970s/early 1980s.



This is the view from the road, to the east of the house. What we used to call 'the garden'... and where I used to play a form of golf (we only had a driving iron and a putter, and half the field was plowed, so it was kind of an all or nothing thing).



This is the road heading north, towards Clifford. The knoll just ahead used to be bigger, and was a bit treacherous when cars would come rocketing up out of the swamp and think they were home-free, particularly as we were walking home from the school-bus, which stopped down about where the clump of trees is on the left side of the road.



This is the field directly across from the house. We were regularly amazed by how far we could see.



This is the field directly across from the house, just to the right of the picture above.





The two shots above are the road heading south, down into the swamp, and even a little further, to 'the river' (see below).



All right, I was getting all arty. If you look carefully, you can see migrating birds in the sky. I was remembering how big the sky seemed when I was a little kid, and amazed by how far we could see, and wander without anyone really being too alarmed that we'd be snatched by perverts in a van or something. The shot is taken of the gap between where Stroeders and the Augers used to live (the Augers' farm is on the bottom far right).



All right. This isn't 'the farm' proper, but 'the river' (looking north from the bridge), which when I was kid, almost loomed larger as a place of significance. My siblings might understand, or perhaps other people who grew up in the country. I'm sure few others would