Busy weekend

It was crazy! lol, lets see, where to start....

Ok so Friday I was doing stuff outside..fixing stuff in the chicken coop, mowing/trimming, spraying for bugs, working on/in the basement, little stuff like that. Then I got a call from my SIL asking me to come help her get stuff set up for the poker run. No problem, I went there and supervised, moved a table, and filled a couple coolers, that was it, LOL. Then I went and picked up the DH. Let me explain the poker run.

SIL decided a few months ago to do an antique tractor poker run. Cool idea, and a mouthful to say, but I thought, why not? So she has been planning and getting things together for that, which occured on this past Sat, the 20th. Cool! It was about 30 miles long, with 5 stops, (2 of which were her house the start/finish). There were supposed to be 13 tractors, but there ended up being 7. There was supposed to be 53 people, there ended up being 28. But over all, it was a good turn out for the first one! It started at 1030, with registration til 1130. Then we all rolled out (7 tractors, 2 pulling hay racks for us 'non drivers')at about noon. After all the stops, and messing around along the way, we got back around 5pm. She wanted it to last into the night, but everyone was so tired from being drunk and in the sun all day, by 7 it was over, lol. Again, it was still fun and not bad for the first run. I think next year will be better!

BIL:


SIL: this pic got chopped for some reason, she is the one on the far right of the pic


DH:


Me:



So then, on Sunday, DH decided we would go to Peoria and mess around. So that was an all day affair, lol. I was so pooped by Sunday evening!! Then on Monday, I piddled around here, went to Burlington with the DH, then took him to work. I came home and did 4 loads of laundry, and CRASHED, lol.

I do want to pass on a bit about a new book I just started reading. Its by Stephanie Meyer, and its called Twilight. Its the first in a series, and is supposed to be really good. It falls in line with the vampire theme that I like, and am looking forward to reading it!!

Horse Power vs. Horsepower

This past weekend I decided to take a break from all of my 'to do's' and go to the Old Thresher's event. Basically, its farmers and exibitioners from around the tri-states showing off their tractors (antique and newer), women showing off their quilting and homemade wares, a small flea market, along with food, ice cream, and other events. It showcases the past, and how we've come to be. So I loaded up Ben, thinking it would be a great training/socialization exercise as well, and off we went. That big boy did soooo good!! At first he was a bit scared of the horses, but taking our time, he got used to them and was actually sleaping through some of the event, and we were mere feet from the pulls!! He also did really well with all the people and kids wanting to pet him...of course he loved it, and learned quickly to 'be easy'. Anyway.....

Among the different events are the antique tractor pulls (in low gear, hooked to a 'sled' the tractors of different classes see how far they can pull a progressively heavier weight), the kiddie tractor races and pulls, tractor races/games, and finally, the draft horse pulls. Anyone that knows me is well aware of my affection for the latter. I go every year specifically to see them. Of course, I go the day prior to watch the in-laws pull with their tractors. But the highlight for me is the horses. I take tons of pictures every year, and although its usually the same participants, I still sit in awe of the sheer raw power of these magnificent animals. Most of them pull on the farms; plows, wagons, hay racks, etc. But this event is different. They must pull a sled from a dead stop, and its 'dead weight'. The teams are weighed, then cinderblocks are placed on the sled in a progressive ratio depending on the team pulling. Don't ask me, thats all I can tell you..lol. Here is the sled:



On the back a 12 foot chain was attached and gathered close....when the sled was pulled, the chain unraveled and once it had reached the end, a whistle blew signaling to the drivers they could stop.

On the average, teams weighed in at around 3,500 pounds. They would start out pulling their weight, then go up with each pull, with teams being given 2 attempts per pull. If they could not or would not pull on both attempts, or pulled short, they were eliminated. They were 'whittled' down until the last 2 teams remained. Whoever pulled the full length after that was the winner. And would you believe it came down to a husband and wife competing against each other?? LOL SHE WON!! WOOHOO!!

Anyway, after the horse pulls I went to the car show for a different display of horsepower. Old cars, new cars, fancy cars, you name it. I like the 1940's hot rods, and the Camero's. So, here are some pictures for your enjoyment...

















Ben after the pulls and on our way to the car show:





And here are a few shots of the other horsepower!!







Needless to say, the 2 days of playing really set me back, so I spent all day Sunday, and part of today catching up!! LOL....but I wouldn't miss those horses for the world!!