The Beautiful Keweenaw

 What a pleasure it is to wander through the forest and old mining company diggins in the Keewenaw.  I've explored many of these sites over the years and when someone says they go to a place and feel recharged - well this is one of those places for me.  

The huge expanses of forest, the silence and the lack of a cell phone connection all conspire to creating a beautiful escape from today's crazy world.

A map of the Keweenaw.  Surrounded by Lake Superior and further North than where most Canadians live!

View from the Brockway Escarpment on a beautiful summer morning.  In early mornings fog will roll through this valley.  This feature provides an excellent climate for pine trees and all of the fauna that live in such places.

LOL, I enjoyed a few days in this remodeled chicken coop from the 1860's...

What a view.  The plaque tells the visitor of the history of copper mining in this part of the world.  Float copper was extracted here for over 100 years. Very pure and was a key enabling factor in the electrification of the world.  Often ignored as a historical reality, this find allowed electrification to grow at an exponential rate.  Today the copper is gone, the miners have left and nature has reclaimed this land.

The major North - South Highway known as US-41 starts in this remote place and ends in Florida a world away.

Surrounded by the giant Lake Superior, this land sees an incredible amount of snowfall.  Something called "Lake Effect" makes this a winter wonderland or nightmare depending on how you look at it! This is the famous snow thermometer, the seasons total accumulation is marked by the arrow.  The record accumulation of snow occurred in the 1978-79 winter.  I remember that winter very well.  In one storm I experienced 12 foot high snow drifts.  

An example of the size and therefore age of pine trees is shown here.  This example of a cross section is of a rather young tree in this area.  It is surmised that this example was germinated at as a seed in the year 1500 and cut down for a mining company in 1900.  The mines used this timber to support the overhead rock in tunneling.  Today this forest is protected.

Have you ever seen a war memorial of a boat made out of rock and pipe?  This memorial of the USS Kersarge is part of a memorial.

Hope you liked the pics!  It's been a beautiful summer...

AML JRO, NLO and SEO AML

The 2023 Iola Car Show!

 The 2023 show was huge!

It was a beautiful day to take a wander through all of this automotive history.  Thousands of cars, something for every gear head.  

One of my favorites - Pierce Arrow.  What a superb restoration.

I really like the old trucks.  In the day this '29 Chevy truck moved a lot of stuff.

This is a showroom quality 1934 Packard

Count'em... yup that's a V12. These engines make an unmistakeable sound.  Smooth power and elegance in design.  Engineered to last a lifetime.  Planned obsolescence had not yet slinked out of the business schools yet because this was the pre-business school era.

The American car designs from the 1930's were (in my opinion) the most beautiful cars in the world even to this day.  Deco influences, streamlined - they are rolling sculptures.  This is a 1937 Chevrolet Coupe.  Bella.

More Deco, more streamlined, this 1937 Cord Phaeton looks brand new. Imagine hidden headlights and a tuned exhaust gently rumbling as you roll down the highway.  Cord had a short lifespan - only seven or eight years depending on how you count it. Gordon Miller Buehrig was the designer and fellow alumni of where I went to grad school.

This 1954 Packard was HUGE. A lot of sheetmetal and swoopy lines make this iconic.

Can you spot the subtle differences? This is the '55

This 1955 Nash was the high mileage car of its day. The reasoning behind this counter culture design is really an interesting story in itself. 

Lots of chrome on the 1956 Pontiac Chief, this hood always reminds me of a 1950's bowling team jersey...

This is the '57

A little red T-Bird.  This is a '57.

and the little red corvette - a 1960.

I remember walking past a yellow AMX parked in the neighbors driveway as a 9 year old on my way to the bus stop.  I thought it was so cool back in '69.

My favorite year for the Mustang is 1970.  I think the front design is awesome.

There is something to be said for the later year size and fast back design.  This one is a '73 kind of at the end of the muscle car era.  Smog pumps and lower compression engines were part of the evolving landscape.

I forgot that AMC actually offered this back in the day... a camper package for the Hornet.

This show is huge... there's even a control tower to broadcast from and scan the grounds for emergencies.

A working 1967 Amphicar.  This was a car and a motor boat. In the rear are two propellers. 

Check out the doors on this Kaiser Darrin...

A very nice 1930 Ford AA truck. 

A '59 Edsel wagon

The inventor of the "snow machine" is really lost to history as kits like this one on a Model A existed for the Model T as well.  Before that light coal fired steam locomotives were tracked as well.  This is the "Snowbird Kit". 

I remember ogling my brother's friend Victor's maroon GTO back in the 60's. I had similar tail lights on my first car!

Just past the gate... welcome to Iola!

This years theme was cars from the 50's and Leave it to Beaver actor Jerry Mathers was in the house...

Another vehicle I owned along the way.  My truck was black and had an enormous 360 cu in V-8,  I remember watching the gas gauge go down as I drove it around...

A nice '55 Studebaker Champion. Loewy magic.

A B-Body Super Bee from '71.  I remember these cars as fast and fashionable as a kid.  I think it was a lot more car than many could handle. Consequently, a lot of these ended up in accidents.  This motor could wind up faster than most and the big engine varients made 425HP.  Put that in a rear wheel drive 2 door coupe with a young male at the wheel and you get a bump in insurance prices! My high school buddy actually spun the drive shaft off of his.  LOL, those were the days!

Last but not least, a venerable ute from 1957.  A cab-over 4x4 Willys pick up.

Hope you all liked the picks.  I loved the show.

AML NLO, JRO and SEO AML 

Independence Day.

 Many people in the US take for granted Independence Day celebrated on the 4th of July every year.  I do not. Independence from tyrannical European hegemonic thought was paid for with lives and it gave us a unique period in history to recognize human rights as God given.  NOT STATE GIVEN.  Not to be usurped by the coercive influence of status, cash or momentary illusions of power over those around you.

So please take a moment to ponder what amazing progress this concept gave the world.  It is easy for the fortunate moneyed elite around this world to imagine they have all of the answers.  Somehow they are so much better than their brethren...  No, they are deluded for sure... better - no not by a long shot!  Rights are not to be twiddled away by a bureaucrat you've never heard of.  That is what happens when governments ignore the rule of law that was crafted by democratic process over years of debate.  Once that happens, the message is clear... there IS NO RULE OF LAW.  So beware of what you wish for.  Hard fought freedom demands respect from many directions. It's disintegration returns us to the 1500's.  Katey bar the door.

I wish all my visitors a pleasant Independence Day and hope the deeper meaning isn't lost by the mindless television shows and the choreographed news media.  IF THAT LINK WONT WORK...These are simply recent owners of the airwaves who have an agenda to sell for profit with no stake in the game. 

Well that's my 2 cents for Independence Day! 

AML NLO, JRO and SEO AML

Happy B-Day JRO!

 All my love... Dad