Ohio Valley Antique Machinery Show

We drove out to the Ohio Valley Antique Machinery Show 

in Georgetown, Ohio. 

Featuring the International Harvester Tractors, 

gas engines and equipment. 

Here are a couple of International Harvester fire engines... 

And a Caterpillar...

The selection of steam engines was impressive.

And of course, Mary Ann was there. 

This steam engine was running the saw mill. 

We wandered around and found the 'Old Tyme Ice Cream.' 

This year the featured flavor was blackberry. 

Tasty, indeed!

And, my favorite. 

The train track set up in the shade. 

We sat on a bench, ate our ice cream and watched the train. 

The man who owns these two International tractors has restored them. 

We watched as he unloaded the International off the rear of the trailer. 

He remotely lowered the back of the trailer to move the tractor.

Then he carefully started and drove the tractor off..

This is the first International. 

We bought a bag of yellow and a bag of white cornmeal. 

A miniature steam engine was getting set up to run a small saw mill.

This steam engine was running the threshing machine. 

Always an interesting day at the Ohio Valley Antique Machinery Show. 

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Spring Walk in the Woods II

A small buckeye tree surrounded by May Apples. 

This was the field with the snow flowers. 

Two  volunteer white daffodils to the left of the May Apples. 

Yesterday, this was a huge pile of branches and logs.

Rain has soaked into the edges of the ashes. 

Yet another small buckeye tree among the white daffodils. 

These white daffodils are a little different. 

A hybrid...

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Spring Walk in the Woods

Volunteer yellow daffodils along the fence row. 

They sit in the sun and were the first to blossom. 

Before the leaves are out, 'widow makers' are seen throughout the woods.

 

The leaves on this small buckeye tree are coming out. 

A lone yellow daffodil in the field that is usually filled with daffodils. 

The two pair of ducks were no where to be seen on the pond. 

Yellow daffodils along the road. 

Our walk has taken us almost to the top of the hill. 

White daffodils amongst the trees at the top of the hill. 

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March Birthday

 Birthday presents arrived in the mail...

What could it be? 

And a birthday pumpkin pie.

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What could it be? 

A hat

A John Deere hat to keep the sun off my neck!

Pretty nice!

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We met the L'ville clan at Golden Corral for a birthday brunch. 

The birthday boy with the ladies. 

The ladies of the group.

Jan found the omelette bar; a treat for three of us!

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Maple Syrup Pictures

Russel "Young Squeak" tapping a maple tree with an old style

'bit and brace.'

Herman pouring maple sap into a large collection bin

that sits on a wooden sled pulled by a horse. 

Russell collecting maple sap from a grove of maple trees. 

Back to the sugar shack out back; transporting the sap from the 

large barrel into the shack so the cooking can begin.

Look at the top of the shack, the fire is already burning.

A double team of horses was used to pull the large barrel back to the sugar shack. 

Herman is pouring the sap into the cooking bin. 

Look closely and you can see that he is pouring the sap through a 

bag or pouch to screen out bugs and other junk in the sap. 

The fire is kept hot as the cooking continues for a long period of time. 

Stirring the liquid, Herman really looks focused on this process. 

The pot of sap is really hot as the mixture slowly

 turns from sap to syrup. 

Russell watching the "Master" at work. 

Oh Boy! Here comes the sweet syrup. 

Herman is filling the tins with their home made 

Pure Maple Syrup. 

Inez is busy putting the labels on the filled tins of  Pure Maple Syrup.

This is their product, made at home and getting it ready to 

be sold and shipped out to homes all over the country for all to enjoy. 

Close up of Inez placing labels on the tin cans. 

Look to the right of the picture to see more labels on the table

that will be placed on the tin cans filled with their home made

Pure Maple Syrup. 

A close up picture of a labeled can of 

Pure Maple Syrup manufactured by 

Herman Loucks. 

This on the back of the pictures. 

Credit given to American Viscose Corp of 

Meadville, Pennsylvania. 

March 8, 1951.

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Something Pure and Sweet

Good Evening Everyone... 03/12/19

Something Pure and Sweet
Loucks Maple Syrup

I would like to share some really cool pictures and a fascinating story from a visit that I had yesterday with Nina and Tina Loucks, from the W. Center Rd area in Linesville, Pa.

I was contacted by Tina Loucks Woge to come out and meet her mom, Nina Loucks and see and read some cool history of this area of Conneaut Twp. in which they live..

I must honestly say that my visit was absolutely a blast and several stories will be developed from my time with them both....

But tonight I want to share a group of pictures of Tina’s grandfather - Herman “Squeak” Loucks and her grandmother - Inez Bollard Loucks.... also in the pictures you will see Tina’s Dad, Russell who was around the age of 20 and newly married to Nina.

The Loucks Family has a homestead on West Center Rd, (Center Road back then) just east of Maple Road or west of Airport Rd...

Back in the 50’s, Herman and his wife Inez, and their son Russell, not only dealt with the daily grind of raising a family, going to work and taking care of the farm, but they also had their own Maple Syrup Business.... back in the Sugar Shack begins the family barn.

Now I’m sure some of the local folks might remember this amazing locally made Maple Syrup which they produced, but for the rest of us who didn’t, this is a cool glimpse back into a time, not so long ago, (68 years ago), but far enough back to see just how they did it then, and probably using the same traditions handed down from those that did it 100 plus years ago.....

I can almost smell the large batch of maple sap cooking off/down in the sugar shack out back.. as the sweet aroma gets closer to the point of maple syrup..

As Herman and Russell are out in the woods collecting the sap from the maple trees which are tapped and filling with the sap dripping into the tin pails; then hauling their sap back by horse and sled in a large collection barrel; then tending the fire with cut wood and stirring the brewing batch..... Inez is inside the house, placing the labels on the tin cans which have been filled by the guys, (she had to clean the tins first from the drips....) which contain the Pure Maple Syrup which is now finished and manufactured from the Loucks Family Maple Sugar Shack....

These pictures really capture the whole process, and thanks to the person who took these pictures to memorialize what they did back in 1951....

They are a cool time capsule of a local family business who took pride in all they did... making this delicious sweet maple syrup that covered stacks of pancakes, sausage or toast from one kitchen to another..... So sweet that moms everywhere had to hide the tin can from the kids so they didn’t eat it all like a bunch of buzzing bees around an open Soda Pop can...

Were you one of the lucky ones to enjoy their syrup??? Do you have one of those cool labeled cans laying around the house or barn.... if so, let me know, as we are looking for a few of them to give back to Tina (Herman’s grand-daughter) and if lucky enough, I would love to add one to my tin collection which is on display at our business in Linesville too...

So, I hope you enjoy this (not so old, but sweet story), and a glimpse back at a sweeter time of life.... For those of you that knew Herman, Inez, Russell and Nina (not Pictured, but the proud owner of these pictures).... I hope these pictures bring a smile to your face as they did mine....

Thank you Nina and Tina for sharing your time and these great pictures with all of us... this is another cool story from the Pymatuning Lake Region, where life is so sweet!!!

Thanks Everyone for reading and Sharing....
Follow us direct at “Visit Pymatuning Lake Pa” Facebook page and read more upcoming historical stories of all the Pymatuning Lake Region.....

Thanks again....

This article is about John's Aunt Nina and Uncle Squeak (Russell).