rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 After two weeks spent camping out surrounded by the fascinating machines at the center of our nation's farming heritage and the good ol boys who love them - not to mention yet more mud, ****in my best Indiana Jones voice here I gripe "mud, why does it always have to be MUD???"****I've got pics and info to share. If you've never been to a steam show before this might be an eye opening experience for you... no, I don't mean the wet tshirt pics, get yer minds outa the gutter there... this is a family oriented TR where all are welcome - just like at the Steam Shows themselves... ***besides those pics'd make you hit the back button faster than stink on sh... well you get the idea... :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BouncingTiggers 98 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Me sees no pics of a steam show or wet tshirt contest. :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Our first show was the Mason Dixon Historical Society's 49th Annual Steam Show Days at the Carroll County Farm Museum. It was held from Thursday, Sept 8 through Sunday, Sept 11. I've mentioned our difficulty setting up in a driving rain in my previous thread. Let me just say that it was raining so hard that DH couldn't even see me out there attempting to tell him where to put it thru the windows of his nice dry truck cab... and there were a few moments when I considered telling him exactly where to put it but it's over so we won't go there now... At one point, I even set out our folding chairs on what I thought were the corners of our space. Little did I know, I was 30 feet to far back b/c the orange markings had washed off the grass. Of course, I found that out after walking back to the guys in rain gear who cheerfully helped us relocate as I cringed in embarrassment realizing that I'd put on a bright pink bra & undies under my white tshirt that morning. Lesson learned, next time I plan to go get drenched, I will definitely color-coordinate my bra & undies with my outfit.So, finally set up, our spot looked like this... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Normally, this is a really big show with fields full of tractors and vendors. There are antique tractors, cars and machinery on display, demonstrations, contests, and parades to show them off. An old steam powered sawmill typically slices watermelon instead of boards and these are handed out to the crowd. There are also crafts and a flea market, and a consignment auction. This year, because of the rain, wet fields, and flooding caused by Lee, the rolling fields were nearly empty...There should have been tons of vendors in these two areas below. It's a successful weekend for sales of all kinds that many base their entire year upon....On a normal year, these area below would be filled with tractors, gas & steam engines for as far as the eye could see. This year, they'd have needed even more tractors to get em all out of there if they'd managed to get in & set up... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Check out the rope man... He's a regular and drives what's called the "Land Yacht" accompanied by his wife & standard poodle. I love the modifications he's made - and you should see how easy it is to break it all down & be on the road at the end of a show. I am positively green with envy. Our curiousity got the best of us so DD10 & I asked for a peek inside. It's a simple but comfortable rv-style interior...What would a steam show be without tractors? Here's a few who showed up despite the wet weather... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 We had a group of 4 ez-ups with curtains next to us with Tastefully Simple ladies from Maryland's Eastern Shore. They slept in the ez-ups all weekend. One was right nnext to our side slideout and DD10 couldn't help but giggle as we listened to the snores of somebody in their party thru our closed windows. Must have been even louder than we thought though b/c DH heard them all the way back in the garage area where he was sleeping to get some peace & quiet... :rofl2: Other vendors either had rvs or drove home. There were a couple of vendors with closed car trailers though who went inside early & slept in there all night long - no windows & no elec - like this guy. Now that's dedication....Getting those tractors out of the mud on Sunday proved to be a bit more difficult than getting them in there. We had tractors pulling tractors... there are some guys there who'll likely be ribbed about that more than Bob is for his GC. Good ol boys like to have fun... and they've all got a memory like an elephant too...Yup, that Deere is pulling both the truck and trailer with the tractors on it out of the mud... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Sunday was 9/11. There was a service in the morning and the flags flew at half mast. God, please Bless all those who were lost on that life-changing morning and watch out for our troops & their loved ones...It takes semis to transport some of these engines. This is definitely not a cheap hobby for the steam enthusiasts. These guys are loaded up and heading off to Arcadia, MD - where setup has already begun for the show that starts Thursday morning - and we are too... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sensei 18 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Very cool TR and the pics are great. Thanks for sharing.We have something similar down here in Ft. Meade which is about 30 miles south of Lakeland. It is the Flywheelers convention that takes place each January. Really neat show. Google "Florida Flywheelers" and you should find it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Very cool TR and the pics are great. Thanks for sharing.We have something similar down here in of all places, a town called Arcadia. It is the Flywheelers convention that takes place each January. Really neat show. Google "Florida Flywheelers" and you should find it.I lived near Arcadia (in Sarasota/Bradenton) for 30 years & didn't know about this show. Thanks for sharing the info. We'll probably go to this in January!Have you ever been to the Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival in East Bradenton? Check out the website:Hunsader Farms Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LORNADUCK 261 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Thanks for sharing to bad the rain kept people away, I hope you did ok. I can't make out from your booth and I probably should know this but what do you sell at the shows? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 What a unique outing!! Thanks for sharing!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Me sees no pics of a steam show or wet tshirt contest. :rofl2:Impatient aren't we? Don't worry more are on the way. I'm uploading another 100 pics at this very moment. Not sure why, but photobucket keeps freezing my screens today...Very cool TR and the pics are great. Thanks for sharing.We have something similar down here in of all places, a town called Arcadia. It is the Flywheelers convention that takes place each January. Really neat show. Google "Florida Flywheelers" and you should find it.Thanks for riding along... there's more to come as the sun came out for a while during the following week's show in Arcadia.I've heard of the Flywheelers. Would love to go to one of those one day too...I lived near Arcadia (in Sarasota/Bradenton) for 30 years & didn't know about this show. Thanks for sharing the info. We'll probably go to this in January!Have you ever been to the Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival in East Bradenton? Check out the website:Hunsader FarmsThat looks really cool. I love pumpkin cannons and the girls are big corn maze fans. :parrot: Thanks for sharing to bad the rain kept people away, I hope you did ok. I can't make out from your booth and I probably should know this but what do you sell at the shows?That's okay, it isn't real obvious until you get closer, I sell American Girl dolls & accessories, along with assorted girly type things. In the midst of all those manly tractors and such, there needs to be an island of pink somewhere just to keep it all in prespective. I love it when the dads come in to sneak a purchase back to surprise their daughters. This year there was a grandfather who came by early Sunday morning and quietly looked at my tables. I was just getting ready to ask if I could help with anything when he picked up a Bitty Baby outfit for his DGD. Turns out he knew exactly what he was looking for after all. It was a simple little thing but it made me smile and my morning was instantly brighter...:heart: What a unique outing!! Thanks for sharing!!!Thanks, there's more to come if photobucket ever finishes uploading - even some evidence of random fiending - so ya'll come back now, ya hear... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 595 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 That's okay, it isn't real obvious until you get closer, I sell American Girl dolls & accessories, along with assorted girly type things. In the midst of all those manly tractors and such, there needs to be an island of pink somewhere just to keep it all in prespective. I love it when the dads come in to sneak a purchase back to surprise their daughters. This year there was a grandfather who came by early Sunday morning and quietly looked at my tables. I was just getting ready to ask if I could help with anything when he picked up a Bitty Baby outfit for his DGD. Turns out he knew exactly what he was looking for after all. It was a simple little thing but it made me smile and my morning was instantly brighter...:heart: If you have an online store could you PM it to me? Those simple little gestures are the ones that are remembered the most. :heart: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 This is our Main Street. We're on the way to the next show - a whopping 10-15 minutes from home. The sun has finally broken thru. This won't last all week but it sure beats setting up in a driving rain. This time nobody but me would know I'd once again forgotten to color coordinate my bra to my shirt... :banana: We set up in Arcadia on Monday. The man who's in charge of the vendor spaces there is Mr Henry and reminds me very much of my dad in his better years. Growing up, both my dad and DGF smoked cigars. It's been over twenty years since I've had the pleasure of seeing either of them or smelling their cigars & pipes, but I still instinctively turn around & look for my dad when I smell a cigar. While I'm sure there are some who might complain about it, I'm secretly glad Mr Henry has that cigar lit as he rides around overseeing things on his GC. :shh: I wish he'd circle by our space more often even... I know it's true what they say about not being able to go home again but when I smell that cigar smoke wafting on the breeze it almost seems possible.Before I get too mushy though, I'm supposed to tell you what a hard-nosed guy Mr Henry is. I promised I would, and he really took care of us... I mean gave us a hard time, so I gotta tell everyone he's no Mr Nice-Guy or they'll get the idea he's like-able or something and there'd sure be hell to pay next year then... :popo: So we got an awesome... oops, did it again... TERRIBLE space right across from my friend's space under the pavillion at the center of the action and just next to the main activity building with the food & bathrooms. It was right in the middle of the traffic flow... yup, a truly awful place to be if you've promised in advance to tell everyone what a hard time Mr Henry gave you. I mean this space was so bad, we even had to plug into the power pole next to us instead of parking way up on the hill and running a 100 foot cord to a pole already used by a dozen other rvs. This is what it looked like set up...Anybody notice that familiar looking snarky sign? I found a slanted plexiglass brochure holder to stick on with double-sided tape and kept it full of ff.net cards which steadily disappeared. Muwahaha... fiending is becoming a way of life and there were way too many rvs to ignore the opportunities...Those are my 3 for $40 Craigslist/QVC mats. I put them out initially to define the space and put little stuff on but never did get too much set out on the ground. We had people coming up to us all day every day though wanting to buy my mats. I'm still kicking myself for not buying all the CL guy had when we bought ours b/c I could probably have sold a hundred of those babies easy... :banghead: We bought curtains for the ez-up canopies this year. It was great to be able to close it up easily at the end of the day or when it rained...This show is almost always much better attended. IIRC it's also the older of the two steam shows held here each September. I won't say there were constant streams of people but there were enough to make this weekend worth it. Thank Heavens! After paying for gas and our space the previous muddy weekend, we were in the hole. Spread out around the carnival grounds was that familiar sea of engines, tractors & vendors that signals a successful show... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 more to come wednesday when photobucket stops freezing up... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PureTcrazy...rita 380 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 So how did you end up following the Steam shows around? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sensei 18 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Don't feel bad, I've had a great deal of trouble with Photobucket lately also. Every time I try to do a multiple picture transfer, it will load part of them and then freeze. Hope you get it worked out as I'm really enjoying this TR.:dance: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dblr....Rennie 224 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Great pictures, hope you do well this weekend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sensei 18 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I corrected my original post. The town where the flywheelers show is held is Ft. Meade which is about 30 miles south of Lakeland. I guess CRS is finally catching up with me. I've done so many shows over the last 20 years that sometimes I get them mixed up in my feeble mind.Sorry for the mistake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 If you have an online store could you PM it to me? Those simple little gestures are the ones that are remembered the most. :heart:I don't have an online store but it's been suggested. Maybe one day. At this point, we're definitely a hobby and nowhere near a business, spending on AG much more than we make to indulge DD10 - and my own inner child, of course, who's a real brat. The theory is that by selling we're downsizing. It might work in a world of pure theory too but I haven't figured out how to program that into Garmin to get there yet... So how did you end up following the Steam shows around?We live in a small town in a rural area. DH started our Cub Scout pack more than twenty years ago and, when DS33 was in Boy Scouts, was a BS leader (hehehe, I've always snickered at that term and the potential, sometimes applicable, double meaning >:D ). Anyway, the scouts used to do the parking for the Farm Musuem's steam show in return for a donation. We got used to being there that entire weekend every year and eventually it became a tradition. Some years we'd also have a vendor space there filled with whatever the families donated. After DS32 married & moved out, we'd drive over to the show & look around but it wasn't until the past few years, when we weren't sure if we'd need to sell the house and decided to downsize a bit, that a friend suggested I share flea market spaces with her, then we realized it'd be much easier if we took the TT, and now we just look forward to seeing everybody at the shows each fall.Don't feel bad, I've had a great deal of trouble with Photobucket lately also. Every time I try to do a multiple picture transfer, it will load part of them and then freeze. Hope you get it worked out as I'm really enjoying this TR.:dance:I thought it was just my computer. I learned the hard way last night after typing a really nice long entry which was lost during one of the freezes that I need to copy occassionally. Not to mention opening photobucket in a completely different window to prevent losing everything at once. Frustrating... :argh: Great pictures, hope you do well this weekend.The Steam Show folks are moving on to Fawn Grove PA this weekend but it's only the gas engines - which they call "the little guys" - I'm thinking we'll take a break. Maybe even head to Gettysburg for a couple days. The gas taking Starla back & forth to work and DD10 to school & cheer from assorted outside locations - not to mention all those pit beef sandwiches and homemade soup topped off with baked goods that we're eating b/c we're out and it all looks so good - is killing my budget this month.Don't suppose you & Beth are camping anywhere nearby this month?? And where is Jess lately? We could all do GBR. Oh campingpixi... come out, come out, wherever you are... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I thought it was just my computer. I learned the hard way last night after typing a really nice long entry which was lost during one of the freezes that I need to copy occassionally. Not to mention opening photobucket in a completely different window to prevent losing everything at once. Frustrating... :argh: Yep, I've learned on this last trip report. I type it up in Word, then copy into Fort Fiends!!! I've lost a couple of great posts and the repeats are less than inspiring :-( Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Each morning began with a salute to the flag. Everything stopped as we all put our hands over our hearts and turned towards the flag for the nation anthem...Okay, now for some tractor pictures. We'll start with the big guys - the steam engines. Watching these families demonstrate their equipment is like stepping back into America's past. I'll never tire of seeing the coal being shoveled into the hopper, or the fire's flames behind their doors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
daddyphat808 - Eric 16 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 That is so cool! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted September 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 The big guys like to play with each other. They'd make great fiends. You can't help but smile when their competitive whistle tunes fill the air. They can make the steam engines whistle different tunes using different pitches. It's not unusual to hear one engine start a tune only to have another finish it. They're particularly fond of that old "shave and a haircut" "two bits" jingle but it could also be a funny sounding long whistle sounded out of the blue answered in kind by another in a different yet equally playful pitch. You just know they're having fun.Even the CSX train gets into it as it passes by the steam engines there in the field that backs up to the tracks. This year the noise was almost deafening in that lower field by the train tracks. Some of the CSX drivers really get into it and some don't notice until it's too late. Saturday's driver kept on the train's whistle until they were well out of sight. The steam engines at the show don't need a lot of encouragement to play, and play they did! I wish I'd captured some of it on video to be able to share the sounds but, as usual, starla took her droid with her and DH's phone won't do video. Here's a utube clip from the same steam show in 2009 though - just imagine it multiplied by about 50 both in volume and duration...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPdYtpjNpu8At night the field fills up with it's own kind of fireworks when the sparks show begins. Spark shows are really cool to watch... almost better than fireworks b/c you know real men are working to pull it off frantically shoveling a mixture into the engines to keep the stacks hot enough to spark. Watching the men shoveling and seeing the outline of the engine dark against the background of sparks shooting high into the air gives you even more respect for our farming heritage. I couldn't find a good clip of our sparks show but here's an idea. It's kind of long, you might want to start it around 2:30 or sohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPAmi95whR0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58 Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I corrected my original post. The town where the flywheelers show is held is Ft. Meade which is about 30 miles south of Lakeland. I guess CRS is finally catching up with me. I've done so many shows over the last 20 years that sometimes I get them mixed up in my feeble mind.Sorry for the mistake.That's okay - I've lived in Lakeland almost 10 years now & never heard of the show. You're batting 1000 in my book!! :rofl2:Pam - I'm loving this report! It looks like you had fun despite the weather!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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